Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem kicked off her Springfield visit Wednesday with a photo op at a federal facility as agents fingerprinted two Guatemalan men marked for deportation. But her agency did not explain what public threat they posed, even as she blasted Illinois’ sanctuary policies.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in Springfield to decry Illinois’ policies that limit state and local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Two hours in the state capital was enough for U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to criticize Illinois’ immigration laws and its governor while invoking the 2023 murder of a local progressive activist.