Stephen Miller, Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, made headlines Friday with a blunt warning to state and local officials: interfere with ICE operations at your own peril. Speaking to Fox host Will Cain, Miller said anyone trying to block federal immigration enforcement could be arrested for engaging in a “criminal conspiracy” against the United States—including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
In his appearance on The Will Cain Show, Miller carefully avoided denying the possibility that the federal government would arrest Pritzker if the governor acted to stop ICE raids in Illinois.
“The answer I’m about to give does not only apply to Governor Pritzker,” Miller said in response to a question about his willingness to detain the governor. “It applies to any state official, any local official, anybody who’s operating in an official capacity who conspires or engages in activity that unlawfully impedes federal law enforcement conducting their duties.”
He continued: “So if you engage in a criminal conspiracy to obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws or to unlawfully order your own police officers or your own officials to try to interfere with ICE officers or even to arrest ICE officers, you’re engaged in criminal activity. Different types of crimes would apply. There is obstruction of justice. There is harboring illegal aliens. There is impeding the enforcement of immigration laws.”
He didn’t stop there, warning that serious interference could rise to the level of seditious conspiracy:
“And then, as you to get up the scale of behavior, you obviously get into seditious conspiracy charges, depending on the conduct, and many other offenses. So again, it depends on the action. It depends the conduct. It depends on what is taking place.”
Miller also issued a clear declaration of federal protection for ICE agents.
“But, what we need to reassure: a couple points. To all ICE officers, you have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties, and anybody who lays a hand on you, or tries to stop you, or tries to obstruct you is committing a felony,” he said. “You have immunity to perform your duties and no one– no city official, no state official, no illegal alien, no leftist agitator or domestic insurrectionist– can prevent you from fulfilling your legal obligations and duties.”
He added that the Department of Justice would enforce consequences for anyone attempting to interfere.
“And the department of justice has made clear that if officials cross that line into obstruction, into criminal conspiracy against the United States or against ICE officers, then they will face justice,” Miller said.
Watch the clip below via Fox News.
Stephen Miller on Fox threatens to arrest JB Pritzker for "seditious conspiracy" and says, "to all ICE officers: you have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties. And anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop or obstruct you is committing a felony." pic.twitter.com/vA8L2SyAbd
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 24, 2025
