Peoria Standard

Jim Walden, whose son Jimmy was killed by an illegal immigrant, said at a press conference in Springfield that Governor J.B. Pritzker should support federal immigration laws and allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out deportation efforts.

"It's a hole in your heart that'll never be filled," said Walden, Father of Jimmy Walden, according to YouTube. "Be a true governor and stand by the federal laws and deport every one of them, every one of them. Send them back."

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited Springfield, Illinois, on Wednesday to criticize the state’s sanctuary policies. According to Local12 News, she said these policies have resulted in "disastrous" consequences for residents. Illinois has been a sanctuary state since 2017, a move Noem claims has shielded illegal criminals and failed to prioritize the safety of American citizens. Noem was joined by "angel families," individuals who have lost loved ones to violence committed by illegal migrants.

At the news conference, Noem mentioned the case of Emma Shafer, who was killed by an illegal immigrant still at large, and Jimmy Walden, a Marine Corps lance corporal killed in a crash caused by a twice-deported illegal alien.

"People who support sanctuary policies talk about love and compassion," Noem said at the press conference. "Well, where's the compassion for the families that stand behind me?"

Lance Corporal James Ray "Jimmy" Walden III, a 21-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Peoria Heights, Illinois, was killed in a motorcycle crash in Maryland in February 2017. The driver responsible for the crash was a twice-deported illegal immigrant who fled the scene, leaving behind his injured stepson in the car, according to DHS. Despite being deported twice—once in 2020 and again in 2022—he remains at large.

According to DHS, Jim Walden is an outspoken critic of Illinois' sanctuary state policies.