Ted Dabrowski, a Republican candidate for Illinois governor, defended a West Chicago teacher’s social media post supporting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and called for an end to sanctuary policies in the state.
“It’s not violence. It’s not hate speech. It’s in support of federal law,” said Dabrowski, Gubernatorial Candidate. “The West Chicago teacher’s personal Facebook post stating “Go ICE” is a simple statement supporting law enforcement and protected by the First Amendment. Citizens like Joe Abraham’s daughter Katie Abraham – who was killed by an illegal immigrant – are the original victims of the lawlessness of open borders, sanctuary policies and anti-ICE activism. As governor, I will restore the law and order Illinoisans deserve. I will work responsibly with federal authorities to remove criminal illegal immigrants who pose a threat to public safety.”
According to Dabrowski, the statement addresses backlash against a teacher at Gary Elementary School in West Chicago who posted “Go ICE” on Facebook in response to immigration-related content. This led to the teacher’s placement on administrative leave by District 33 after community protests and a listening session called by Mayor Daniel Bovey. Coverage from Fox News reported that the post sparked calls for the teacher’s job removal in a predominantly Hispanic area amid ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations.
West Chicago, located in DuPage County, has a significant Hispanic population where community members expressed concerns during a city-hosted listening session. According to reports from ABC7 Chicago, parental reactions highlighted that children felt unsafe due to the post, with comments from the mayor addressing family separations resulting from recent enforcement actions. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions over federal operations in Illinois communities.
Illinois maintains sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, contrasting with most states that align more closely with ICE operations to detain criminal illegal immigrants. Federal data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlights cases where illegal immigrants committed serious crimes in sanctuary jurisdictions, including DUI incidents resulting in fatalities.
Dabrowski is focusing his campaign on restoring law and order, rejecting sanctuary policies, and promoting legal immigration while criticizing what he describes as inflammatory rhetoric from current state leadership against federal authorities. He positions himself as the son of legal immigrants who became U.S. citizens.
