'Kristi Noem's Racism And Xenophobia Have No Place in IL-O6 District:' Casten

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06) denounced Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to the Chicago area, in which she spoke of recent arrests of immigrants she described as being the “worst of the worst.”

The Downers Grove Democrat called Noem “racist” and “xenophobic." Noem was in the Chicago area Friday morning visiting the Lombard DHS office, part of which is located in Illinois’s 6th Congressional district.

"Kristi Noem's racism and xenophobia have no place in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District,” Casten said in a written statement. “Her failures at the Department of Homeland Security harm American families and will have lasting, negative ripple effects on the American economy. The only reason she has her job is that she is so doggone terrified of anyone who does not look like her that she will eagerly forsake the Constitution anytime Donald Trump asks.”

During a news conference at Lombard DHS office, Noem claimed that for the past three months, “zero” undocumented immigrants entered the United States illegally, calling it a first in the nation’s history. She also focused on the department's efforts for getting “dangerous criminal illegal aliens” out of the country so that families can be safe again at night.

“I am here today because the elected leaders in this state of Illinois, are ignoring the law, in fact they're being obstructionist when it comes to getting dangerous criminals off their streets,” Noem said. “They're deciding that dangerous criminals that are murderers, rapists, money launderers, have committed assault, that are trafficking children are more important than the families that live in the communities here.”

Noem also ripped Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who she accused of protecting dangerous criminals.

“They’d rather be a sanctuary state and continue to those individuals above American citizens who built this country, American citizens who built this country who've’ raised their families here for generations and generations and just want to be able to walk down the street safely at night and put their kids to bed and live a peaceful life.”

Since President Trump took office, Noem said “hundreds of thousands” of immigrants have been arrested. She trumpeted the arrests of four individuals from Illinois who she claimed were in the United States illegally.

That includes Hector Bonaparte-Contreras, a 42-year-old Mexican sex offender convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault on a child under the age of 13 in Illinois.

“Our federal officers have had to do this alone without [Pritzker, Johnson and other lawmakers] support, and these dangerous individuals are no longer victimizing people because of the good work that we do,” Noem said.

The Trump Administration, along with DHS and ICE, have drawn criticism for detaining and deporting immigrants with legal status or no criminal history, advocates claim.

Noem's visit was also marked by protesters gathered outside the Lombard DHS office, and Chicago Alderman Gilbert Villegas also spoke out.

"Let it not be lost that the reason for this is petty, racist politics — led by the dark money donations of CoreCivic Corp and GEO Group Inc., who gave Donald Trump millions during his campaign and are now getting billions in no-bid contracts for their disgusting detention centers," he said. "It was never about public safety, and as this administration continues their uptick in antics to distract from the serious issues they are facing, like raising prices on everyday Americans for petty tariffs, covering up Trump in the Epstein files, and dismantling support for our Veterans, they will continue to target the most vulnerable in our country to keep the attention elsewhere. Shame on them."