Kristi Noem criticizes Illinois leaders, cites ICE arrests, detainers and fentanyl seizure

Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota, criticized Illinois elected leaders on federal immigration enforcement and described recent enforcement actions and drug interdictions during public remarks in Illinois.

Noem said federal officers had worked without support from Illinois officials and highlighted several criminal cases federal immigration officers had recently handled. “We have had for 3 months in a row 0 illegal aliens entering The United States,” she said, and later described arrests of individuals she identified as “Hector Bonaparte,” “Jarvin Flores Santos,” “Waldemar Dubik” and “Dawn Gay Silas,” attributing their removal to ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) work. She also said ICE had issued 1,664 detainers in Chicago in the last seven months and that Chicago honored 8% of those detainers.

Noem said a 20-kilogram fentanyl seizure in Illinois was displayed during her remarks and described the quantity’s lethality: “That’s enough to kill 10000000 people,” she said. She also told the audience that ICE officers faced a “1000% increase in assaults against them” and that since the Trump administration began federal enforcement had arrested “hundreds of thousands” of people she described as dangerous criminals.

Why it matters: Noem framed her remarks around two stated priorities for federal immigration enforcement—securing borders and removing noncitizens with criminal convictions—while criticizing local officials she named, including Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, for what she described as sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal detainer requests. Her comments focus on enforcement and public-safety arguments frequently raised in federal–local immigration disputes.

Details and claims cited in remarks • Detainers and local cooperation: Noem said ICE issued 1,664 detainers in Chicago in the last seven months and that Chicago honored 8% of those detainers. She said federal officers often do not receive notification when individuals with detainers are released from local custody.

• Criminal cases named: Noem named four individuals she said federal officers arrested and removed—Hector Bonaparte, Jarvin Flores Santos, Waldemar Dubik and Dawn Gay Silas—and listed prior convictions alleged in each case. Those descriptions were presented by Noem as recounting recent enforcement outcomes; the transcript does not provide court records or independent verification within the remarks.

• Fentanyl seizure: Noem displayed a 20-kilogram fentanyl seizure she said was interdicted in Illinois “just days ago” and described the quantity’s lethality in the remarks.

• Enforcement posture and staffing: Noem said the administration had opened hiring for 10,000 new ICE officers and reported receiving more than 80,000 applicants in fewer than a week. She also said ICE is prioritizing arrests of people with pending criminal charges or final removal orders.

What Noem asked of listeners and how she framed local officials Noem urged support for law enforcement, said officials should not “put criminals first,” and asked people to consider community safety for families. She criticized Illinois leaders by name for declining to honor detainers and for “sanctuary” approaches she said put criminals above residents.

Scope and limits of the remarks The transcript records these statements as public remarks and a subsequent question-and-answer exchange. No formal motions, votes or policy changes by state or local bodies are recorded in the transcript. Numbers and characterizations cited by Noem (for example, the 1,664 detainers, the 8% honor rate, the 20 kilograms of fentanyl and the “1000% increase” in assaults on ICE officers) are reported here as claims she made during her remarks; the transcript does not include independent verification of those figures.

Questions from reporters during the session focused on voluntary returns promoted by federal messaging, the legal status of people targeted by enforcement and operational details such as officer identification and training. No formal commitments by Illinois officials or federal actions beyond the enforcement outcomes described in the remarks are recorded in the transcript.

Ending: The remarks concluded with Noem urging the audience to “support your law enforcement officers” and to prioritize community safety. No formal action or vote followed the remarks in the provided transcript.