Podcast Summary: The Best People with Nicolle Wallace
Episode: JB Pritzker on ICE Raids in Chicago: “People are Traumatized”
Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Nicolle Wallace
Guest: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker
Episode Overview
This episode centers on the ongoing ICE raids and deployment of militarized federal agents in the Chicago area under the Trump administration, examining the profound effects on Illinois' communities and democracy. Governor J.B. Pritzker discusses the legal, political, and human ramifications, drawing parallels to history and reflecting on how trauma, fear, and the erosion of rights reverberate across society. The conversation urges action, accountability, and a recommitment to democratic values in times of authoritarian stress.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Current Situation in Chicago: ICE Raids and Militarization
[02:05-04:29]
- Pritzker details the situation: ICE, Customs and Border Patrol are stopping people—especially those with brown or black skin—for documentation, detaining them on little pretext:
“We are seeing ICE and customs and border Patrol who are literally stopping people who are brown and asking them for their papers...marching in uniform with semiautomatic or automatic weapons in the streets...” (Pritzker, 02:35)
- Unmarked vehicles and masked agents are present in various neighborhoods, creating an atmosphere of fear and unpredictability.
- Active litigation: Lawsuits brought by media organizations and the Illinois Attorney General have imposed some restraints, such as requiring agents to identify themselves and restricting the deployment of National Guard into Chicago.
2. Impact on Community & The Human Toll
[04:29-07:15; 12:00-14:55]
- Profound trauma for residents, especially families and children:
“The kids in that school...are afraid when they go home, no one will be there, that their parents will have been disappeared. ...people are traumatized.” (Pritzker, 12:20)
- Effect on daily life: Restaurants and stores are empty; residents stay indoors out of fear. Incidents of violence by agents have instilled deep mistrust and anxiety.
- Example of alderman Jesse Fuentes being arrested for questioning ICE agents during a detention at a hospital, demonstrating the breakdown of constitutional protections in real time ([14:18-14:55]).
3. Legal Strategies & Accountability
[07:15-10:12]
- Legal limitations: Federal agents have broad immunity, making it difficult to pursue accountability through state law.
- Two-pronged response:
- Litigation: Ongoing court cases to establish boundaries and restrain federal overreach.
- Documentation: Encouraging citizens and local media to record ICE actions in real-time; “We're making a record...Donald Trump will not be in office forever...there will be a moment when these folks are held accountable.” (Pritzker, 07:34-09:07)
4. Historical Parallels & Warnings
[17:54-24:03; 24:03-27:09]
- Pritzker references Martin Luther King’s “arc of the moral universe,” amending it:
“...it bends toward justice if we take it there, but we have to make that happen. That's up to us.” (17:54)
- Concern over democracy’s erosion: Increased military and law enforcement presence near polling places considered a threat to free and fair elections.
- He draws on Holocaust lessons: Building a Holocaust museum and working with survivors taught him to recognize the “early stages” of authoritarianism:
"Authoritarianism, which [Holocaust survivors] easily recognize the early stages of, is coming upon this country..." (Pritzker, 17:54-20:20)
- Niemöller’s “First They Came” poem: Used to warn that complacency and “looking the other way” make all vulnerable in times of creeping totalitarianism.
5. Civic Action: Resistance and Solidarity
[27:09-29:03]
- Acts of collective resistance: Community members forming human chains outside churches and schools to protect families from ICE raids:
“They began to form a kind of a human chain wall to protect the parishioners coming out after the ceremony...they're now doing this every Sunday.” (Pritzker, 27:21)
- Citizen journalism: Ordinary people are documenting abuses, spreading information widely, and building a "public archive" of government actions.
6. Critiques of the Press, Business, and Democratic Leadership
[29:03-36:31]
- Understanding public inaction: Many are overwhelmed by daily struggles like inflation or the cost of living, making activism hard.
- Critical of business and institutional leaders who choose to “sit at the table with Trump” to protect their interests, warning that complicity won't spare them if authoritarianism deepens.
- Frustration with Democratic officials and the need for more to “stand up and speak out”:
“What explains it is fear. But what they need to recognize...is that what you're afraid of happening to you today will be much worse if you duck and hide instead of standing up and fighting.” (Pritzker, 34:51)
7. Democratic Values, Party Identity, and The Press's Role
[41:42-48:19]
- Democratic Party soul-searching:
“...we are fighting for average folks, everyday folks...if we're not reiterating that over and over...we Believe that they are front and center and very importantly, delivering on that.” (Pritzker, 41:42)
- Media responsibilities: Rejecting “both sides” coverage when one side is violating law or democracy:
"Not everything is a both sides issue. When someone's breaching the Constitution, it needs to be called out. There's not two sides to it." (Pritzker, 46:44)
Memorable Quotes & Moments
-
On current threats:
“I'm smiling just because when you say you might not have seen me today, it's cuz the president threatened to jail me. So any day you might not see me, I suppose, but I ask that you visit me at the gulag in El Salvador when that happens.” (Pritzker, 02:20)
-
On law enforcement tactics:
“They're literally stopping the abuelas and, you know, little kids and zip tying them. They're attacking a building in the middle of the night...and in the 130 other people, many of whom were US citizens, were detained for hours, put into U Hauls. Little kids, zip tied, and they used Blackhawk helicopters.” (Pritzker, 04:38)
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On fear and trauma:
“But the kids in that school that I was at, those kids are afraid when they go home, no one will be there, that their parents will have been disappeared. I mean, I don't know what to say except that, you know, people are traumatized.” (Pritzker, 12:20)
-
On lessons from history:
“Authoritarianism, which [Holocaust survivors] easily recognize the early stages of, is coming upon this country and that people are beginning to wake up and recognize it.” (Pritzker, 20:12)
-
On being an upstander:
“…they would challenge children, young people who would come through the Holocaust museum that we built to think about who they really are. Are you a collaborator? Are you a bystander? Are you a rescuer? Are you an upstander? ...if you're a bystander and you just let it happen...you are going to suffer mightily.” (Pritzker, 34:51)
-
On the press’s duty:
“Not everything is a both sides issue. You know, when someone's breaching the Constitution, it needs to be called out. There's not two sides to it.” (Pritzker, 46:44)
Important Timestamps by Topic
- [02:05]: Pritzker describes on-the-ground ICE activities and martial presence
- [04:38]: Details of raids, violence, targeting innocent people
- [07:34]: Legal strategies, documentation, and future accountability
- [12:20]: Community trauma, focus on children's fear
- [14:18]: Vignette of alderman Jesse Fuentes being arrested
- [17:54]: Reflection on MLK’s quote and the arc of justice
- [20:12]: Lessons from Holocaust survivors
- [27:21]: Human walls of community resistance
- [34:51]: Defining “upstander,” critique of silent leadership
- [41:42]: Democrats’ focus and messaging challenges
- [46:44]: Press responsibility and critique of “both sides”-ism
Episode Tone
The tone is urgent, direct, and often somber—tempered by hope grounded in civic action and historical awareness. Pritzker calls repeatedly for vigilance, solidarity, and proactive defense of democracy, using vivid, sometimes personal, examples. Nicolle Wallace maintains a probing but empathetic stance, drawing out both pragmatic tactics and philosophical reflection from her guest.
Conclusion
This episode offers a candid look at the intersection of politics, law, and lived experience in a moment of democratic crisis. It provides listeners not just with an account of ICE raids in Chicago but a call to resist complacency, document abuses, and protect core constitutional values—using history as both warning and guide.