Crime & Law
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Tariffs, Voter Data and Protections for Haitian Migrants
Illinois is continuing its tense relationship with the federal government through an ongoing series of legal battles.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined “Chicago Tonight” to provide an update on pending litigation against the Trump administration just months before election season. Raoul is seeking reelection for a third term this November.
On suing over imposed tariffs:
Illinois recently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over new tariffs imposed last month. The tariffs range from 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 countries. President Donald Trump said these tariffs aim to enforce bans on goods produced by unchecked forced labor.
This is the third time the state has sued over imposed tariffs since Trump took office last year.
“He does not have the power to impose these tariffs,” Raoul said. “We’ve gone through this twice before. … He’s still violating the law in how he does this and thereby raising prices on American consumers, American businesses, at the worst time to be doing so. At a time when this war that he’s entered into unnecessarily has already risen prices on American consumers and businesses.”
On protecting Illinois voter data:
A federal court recently ruled that the U.S. Department Of Justice cannot demand unredacted voters registration lists from states. Raoul said this decision protects Illinois voters’ sensitive personal information.
“The president seems to have a disregard for the Constitution and the privacy of individuals at that,” Raoul said. “And so, there’s a dual problem. This is one of many actions that we’ve taken to protect the privacy of Americans, but this is also one of many actions we’ve taken to protect the Constitution.”
On proposed funding caps for housing projects to address homelessness:
Illinois is also suing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over an attempt to cap funding for permanent housing projects to address homelessness in Illinois. Raoul said HUD’s decision could cause thousands of Illinoisans to lose their homes.
“The administration is exceeding its authority to try to impose these caps at the worst time to be doing so, when people are indeed struggling with homelessness and housing and security,” Raoul said. “And so, the heartlessness of this is one thing, but the illegality is the other thing.”
On Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants:
Raoul has publicly urged Congress to restore Temporary Protected Status for Haitian migrants in the United States. The son of Haitian immigrants, Raoul said the issue is deeply personal.
“I was disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision because it disregarded the fact that there’s a mandate that the Secretary of Homeland Security consult with the State Department before making any such decision to terminate TPS,” Raoul said. “Had they done so, they would realize that the State Department does not allow commercial flights to fly to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, because of conditions in Haiti. There’s gang violence, there’s a lack of medical services. This is all spelled out on the State Department’s website as to what the conditions are in Haiti. So if there were ever a situation where TPS should be continued, it obviously exists with regard to Haitians.”
On whether Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch should resign:
Earlier this month, Welch publicly apologized for his handling of sexual harassment alligations against former state Rep. Harry Benton. Welch has since faced calls for resignation from several state lawmakers and other organizations.
“We’re coming up on the beginning of another General Assembly and the members of the House of Representatives will have the ability to assess the situation, and the IG’s report has been made public,” Raoul said. “Our role was to review and to make recommendations on any redactions, but that was our sole role. I think the Democratic process should make the determination of who’s speaker and who’s Senate president.”
