Metro East Sun

A former lieutenant governor candidate now running for the state Senate says sanctuary cities go against the values of the U.S. and also cost local jobs.

“One of the core values of our society is the rule of law,” Jason Plummer told the Metro East Sun. “I don’t think there should be sanctuary cities or sanctuary states because it goes against our core values.

“There has to be order. There has to be the rule of law in a functioning society and unfortunately, a lot of folks don’t think that we should follow the rules that are on the books," the Republican candidate in the 54th Senate District said. "The Trust Act is just a furthering of making Illinois a destination for illegal immigrants and a destination for people who want to violate our laws.”

Plummer clarified that immigration laws were separate from sanctuary policies.

“I don’t know anybody that is opposed to immigration but we just can’t have uncontrolled, illegal immigration. The Trust Act, unfortunately, makes it easier for folks to come into the country illegally, find a haven and take jobs away from Americans who are in the country legally. In Southern Illinois we have a real problem with the job situation,” he said. 

He added that the first thing the state needed to do was put people in Illinois back to work.

“I think the Trust Act really hurts that effort,” he said.

Plummer also said he was against such policies because they hamper cooperation between law enforcement agencies. 

“What the Trust Act does is it cleaves the relationship between federal law enforcement and state law enforcement in half,” he said. “It basically eliminates local agencies cooperation with federal authorities. We cannot have that. State authorities and local authorities and federal authorities should be working together.

“Our government should be encouraging our law enforcement to be working closer on investigations, on arrests, on deportations, on preventing crimes, on protecting Americans,” he said.

Plummer is running in the 54th District, as Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) is not seeking re-election. The district includes parts or all of Bond, Clinton, Effingham, Fayette, Madison, Marion, St. Clair and Washington counties.