As a new year in the Illinois General Assembly gets underway, more than 100 advocacy, health and human services, faith and community organizations sent a letter to Governor Pritzker and the Legislature calling on them to resist federal coercion and refuse to retreat into regressive policy rollbacks.  The letter comes after the Trump administration took significant steps over the last year to slash essential federal funding streams, roll back vital civil rights protections, and impose austerity measures that are devastating marginalized communities and state budgets nationwide. These cuts are destabilizing SNAP benefits, Medicaid, housing, behavioral health care, reentry services, disability services, public health infrastructure, environmental enforcement, child care, violence prevention programs, transportation systems, and more.

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January 20th, 2026

Dear Governor Pritzker, President Harmon, Speaker Welch, and Members of the Illinois General Assembly:

As the Trump administration accelerates its campaign to dismantle core public institutions, terrorize vulnerable Illinoisans, and force our state into impossible fiscal choices, we recognize the burden you carry, and we thank you and your staff for your service to the people of our state.

Over the last year, the Trump administration has begun to slash essential federal funding streams, roll back vital civil rights protections, and impose austerity measures that are already devastating marginalized communities and state budgets nationwide. These attacks will not fall evenly; they target states like ours that have advanced justice reforms, expanded safety-net programs, and worked to build a more equitable society. These attacks come as our state continues to deal with the fallout of austerity state budgets passed by previous administrations and the need for new progressive revenue streams.  Trump’s authoritarian agenda represents an unprecedented threat to the health, safety, and stability of millions of Illinoisans.

The people of our state will feel these cuts first, hardest, and most deeply.

Across our coalitions, direct-service organizations are already dealing with the fallout and preparing for further reductions in funding that would destabilize SNAP benefits, Medicaid, housing, behavioral health care, reentry services, disability services, public health infrastructure, environmental enforcement, child care, violence prevention programs, transportation systems, and more. Illinois must face this storm head-on, with the resolve to protect our commitment to equity and justice and continue to build upon that legacy as a form of resistance. If we do anything else, the consequences will be swift and severe for the communities we serve and for the organizations that work on the front lines every day.

It is in this context we write with a clear and unified message:

This session, Illinois elected officials must resist federal coercion and refuse to retreat into regressive policy rollbacks. Our state must advance bold, progressive solutions, not abandon the progress so many Illinoisans have fought and sacrificed to achieve.

Trump and his allies have already targeted communities in California, Illinois, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, Minnesota, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Minnesota. They continue to deploy federal forces that terrorize neighborhoods, including the unwarranted use of pain-inducing weapons and the unlawful detention of residents. They have openly signaled their intent to impose punitive measures on states that refuse to comply with their authoritarian agenda. While many details remain unknown, what is clear is that federal actors are attempting to force Illinois to abandon its commitments to justice, opportunity, and human dignity. These efforts represent a profound violation of state sovereignty and democratic self-government.

If and when future federal attacks materialize, we urge you to unequivocally:

• Focus energy on passing bold progressive legislation aimed at supporting the most vulnerable people in our state;
• Stand strong against fear-based attacks and protect the progress Illinois has made toward a fairer, safer, and more stable justice system; 
• Expand investments in community-based services and empirically proven approaches that strengthen public safety, reduce harm, and ensure people have the resources they need to succeed; and
• Protect the working class of Illinois by funding these important reforms through progressive revenue solutions that put the tax burden on the wealthiest individuals and corporations in Illinois who just received a $9 billion tax cut from H.R. 1.

The Illinois nonprofit sector stands ready to work with you. We stand with every elected leader who chooses to defend Illinois residents rather than capitulate to federal intimidation.

We know these coming months will require resolve, clarity, and courage. Illinois has faced serious challenges before, and in our best moments, our state has chosen to meet those challenges head on, like when we’ve taken bold action to protect abortion and immigrant rights, as well as leading on pretrial reforms. We are proud to call ourselves the Land of Lincoln and proclaim our commitment to democracy. We are confident that you will once again stand with the people of Illinois, uphold our shared values, and reject any effort to force us backwards.

Thank you for your continued commitment, your leadership, and your willingness to stand in the breach at a time when so many are looking to Illinois for direction and hope. We remain ready to work alongside you in the fight to protect our communities and preserve the progress our state has made.

In solidarity,

The Undersigned Coalitions and Associations 

Housing Action Illinois

Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice

Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF)

Illinois Collaboration on Youth

Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition

Illinois Head Start Association

Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice

Illinois Partners for Human Service

Supportive Housing Providers Association (SHPA)

The Undersigned Organizations

A Just Harvest

A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing)

Access Living

AIDS Foundation Chicago

Allendale Association

Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE)

Alternative School Network: Added Chance

American Friends Service Committee 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Chicago

Believers Bailout

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Champaign-Urbana

Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

Cannabis Equity IL Coalition

Caring Across Generations

Center for Disability & Elder Law

Centers for New Horizons

Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Chicago Therapy Collective

Chicago United Solidarity Project (CUSP)

Chicago Urban League

Chicago Votes

Chicago Women in Trades

​​​​Children’s Best Interest Project

Citizen Action/Illinois

Community Capacity Consulting

COOL Ministries

Esperanza Community Services

Equality Illinois

Faith in Place Action Fund

Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago

FirstFollowers 

Fox Valley Citizens for Peace & Justice

Grassroots Collaborative

Habilitative Systems, Inc.

HANA Center

Hanul Family Alliance

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Illinois National Organization for Women

Illinois Social Justice Alliance

Impact for Equity

Inside Out Network

James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy

JACL Chicago 

JOLT Foundation

Kaleidoscope

Kids Above All

Kmetko and Associates, Ltd.

Lao American Organization of Elgin

Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA)

Lawrence Hall

Legal Council for Health Justice

Let It Be Us

Liberation Library

Little City Foundation

Little Friends, Inc.

Mano a Mano Family Resource Center

Metro East Organizing Coalition (MEOC) 

Muslim Civic Coalition

National Alliance on Mental Illinois: Chicago

Nehemiah Trinity Rising

Nexus Family Healing

Neurodivergent Galaxy

Northside Action for Justice

ONE Northside

Of Color Inc

Peace & Service Committee: Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting

Peoria Proud

Prevent Child Abuse Illinois

Pride Action Tank

Prison Policy Initiative

Quad Cities Democratic Socialists of America

Rainbow Push Coalition

Restore Justice

SAFE Illinois

Save By Faith Children Foundation Inc

She Votes Illinois

Shelter Youth and Family Services

SisterReach Illinois

Smart Decarceration Project: University of Chicago

South Asian American Policy & Research Institute (SAAPRI)

Spanish Community Center

Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC)

The Center for Youth and Family Solutions

The Chicago Council of Lawyers

The LIAM Foundation 

The People’s Lobby

The Porchlight Collective SAP

To Defend If Necessary, LLC

Trinity United Church of Christ

Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois

Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justice

West Town Law Office

Winfield Township

Working Family Solidarity

Youth & Family Counseling

YWCA Southwestern Illinois