We are disappointed but unsurprised to see President Trump once again calling to repeal the Pretrial Fairness Act and bring money bail back to Illinois. Whether it’s gutting the social safety net, ending funding for violence prevention programs, or calling to repeal effective reforms to our criminal legal system, the President has consistently shown that he is deeply unserious about keeping our communities safe. 

What Donald Trump really means when he argues to bring back money bail is that he wants a system that punishes poor people and People of Color based on the size of their bank accounts and the color of their skin while rewarding wealthy and white people. That’s not any surprise—it’s what he stands for in everything he does. We have no doubt that Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly will ignore his latest temper tantrum.

Contrary to Trump’s statements, “dangerous people” are not “flooding the streets,” and crime has not increased since Illinois ended money bond. Violent crime has actually significantly decreased since Illinois implemented the Pretrial Fairness Act. Thanks to Governor Pritzker and our state legislators, Illinois is now safer because money is no longer the primary factor determining who returns to the community and who is jailed while awaiting trial. People who are not deemed to be a risk to public safety no longer have to scrape for cash to purchase their freedom while awaiting trial. That means that more people are able to keep their jobs, housing, and social connections while awaiting trial, which makes us all safer. Since families no longer have to choose between paying rent or paying a ransom to free a loved one who is presumed innocent, millions of dollars are staying in our most marginalized communities. 

Illinois is showing the country a way out of the policies of mass incarceration that have failed to keep our communities safe. We will not be bullied by a President who is more concerned with his public image than he is public safety. The Pretrial Fairness Act is working, and Illinois is safer because of it.