HOUSTON, United States

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a series of measures Wednesday that his state is taking against El Salvador in response to the Trump administration's role in defying court orders and violating due process in deporting migrants from the US to Salvadoran prisons.

"As laid out in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, no one should be deprived of life and liberty without due process of law," he said in his announcement.

Pritzker specifically mentioned the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, a Maryland resident legally living in the US who was deported with hundreds of alleged Salvadoran and Venezuelan gang members on March 15 without court hearings, despite a previous court order from a separate case prohibiting him from being expelled from the United States.

"The Trump administration admitted it sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador because of an administrative error," said Pritzker. "Despite a unanimous decision from the Supreme Court of the United States ordering the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return because of his wrongful deportation, he continues to be held in illegal confinement in El Salvador."

"This week, Donald Trump doubled down on his illegal actions...saying he will not allow Constitutional due process," Pritzker continued. "Because the Trump administration is refusing to comply with various court orders and follow the rule of law, the state of Illinois is announcing new measures against El Salvador for aiding the Trump administration’s unlawful and unconstitutional actions."

Pritzker announced three measures the state is taking against El Salvador, effective immediately, until the Trump administration and El Salvador follow the law.

First, the governor is requesting that state pension funds review all investments to identify any companies in those funds that are managed, owned or controlled by the government of El Salvador. The state will then determine whether it should take legislative action to prohibit the state retirement systems from investing in those companies.

The Governor's Office is also directing the Illinois Department of Central Management Services to launch a procurement review to identify any state contracts awarded to companies managed, owned or controlled by the government of El Salvador and determine whether those contracts will be reevaluated.

In addition, the governor is directing the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Office of Trade and Investment to analyze any trade between Illinois and El Salvador, including imports, exports, goods produced and the supply chain of products manufactured in the state. The Governor's Office will then take any actions it deems appropriate that could have economic impacts against El Salvador.

"The United States Constitution guarantees due process," said Pritzker. "We are witnessing Donald Trump erode our fundamental Constitutional rights in real time, and we must fight to restore the balance of power."

"The State of Illinois will stand up for the Rule of Law and do everything in our power to stop the Trump administration from ripping apart our most basic rights."