From Resistance to Renewal
Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times, via Associated Press
In February, just as the second Trump Administration was kicking off, I watched Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s State of the State address. It already seems like years have passed, but even in its first month the administration in Washington had started to turn America’s democracy inside out, and watching the governor’s address—the speech itself, and the reaction of the legislators in the chamber—was like traveling to an alternate reality: sane, competent leadership, committed to serving the people and working through the challenges facing the state.
I’ve thought about that speech over the last few weeks as the President has made Illinois a target, sending troops and federal agents here to intimidate our communities and perpetuate the lie that Democratic-run states and cities are disaster zones. Of course Illinois has real problems, like every state, but the President’s actions have nothing to do with solving them. They are an abuse of power, exploiting our armed forces and federal agencies as puppets in an act of political theater.
They’re also a blunder. By targeting Illinois, the President is shining a spotlight on our leadership, from the governor down, and the contrast will not be kind to him. Already, we see state and local leaders pushing back against the administration’s unlawful acts—by refusing to cooperate, by holding federal agents accountable, by fighting in court, and by speaking out on what’s happening. The longer the President harasses the people of Illinois, the more chances Americans will have to see what passionate, principled leadership looks like, and to reconsider the person they elected president.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much that Illinois can do. The President has significant powers, and he’s happy to steal the ones he doesn’t have. We can refuse to cooperate, but we can’t stop troops or masked federal agents. We can file lawsuits, but they’ll take years to get through court—and even then, this Supreme Court is in President Trump’s pocket. We can fight in the media, but he thrives on division. We can and must resist however we can, but we need to change who’s giving the orders.
That’s why it’s so important that, even in the midst of the fear and chaos, we stay focused on winning back power. Resistance is the urgent priority for the near term, but building a winning majority is how we will stop the raids, the unlawful arrests, and the inhumane deportations for good. We owe that to immigrant families—including mine—and to every vulnerable person in this country.
