South Cook News

The Save Illinois Coalition will host a public event on Tuesday, April 30, as part of its broader campaign to gather petition signatures for a 2026 ballot initiative aimed at ending sanctuary policies in Illinois and Chicago.

Titled “From the Border to Our Backyards,” the event will begin at 6 p.m. at Bourbon Street, 3359 W. 115th Street in Merrionette Park. 

The event will feature national speakers, community leaders and policy advocates. Organizers say the evening will include firsthand testimony, panel discussions and commentary on crime, drug cartels and the impact of illegal immigration on public services and neighborhoods.

“The Save IL Coalition, a newly established bipartisan organization, aims to drive petition signatures to terminate the sanctuary status of the state and city of Chicago during the 2026 election,” the group stated in an announcement.

The Save Illinois Coalition is leading an effort to place two nonbinding questions on the 2026 ballot: one asking whether Illinois should continue to follow the TRUST Act, which limits local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and another asking if Chicago should keep using taxpayer funds for undocumented immigrants.

Headlining the event are three nationally known – Ben Bergquam, Ann Vandersteel and Terry Newsome.

Bergquam, an investigative journalist with Real America’s Voice, has reported extensively from Central and South America to the U.S.-Mexico border, documenting the paths migrants take and the cartels that facilitate them. 

Vandersteel, host of Steel News, has similarly covered the immigration crisis, particularly from the Darien Gap in Panama to the Mexican border, offering commentary on the policy and humanitarian implications of illegal immigration.

Newsome, President of the Illinois Chapter of Parents Involved in Education and host of the podcast Behind Enemy Lines, will speak about the local impact of illegal immigration, including his investigations into the Tren de Aragua gang, FEMA operations and the role of organizations like Catholic Charities in migrant resettlement. 

Newsome began his activism confronting political content in schools, which has since expanded into broader efforts around government accountability and immigration.

Several panelists from Chicago's minority communities will also share their perspectives during the “From the Border to Our Backyards” event. 

Representing the Black community are Danielle Carter-Walters, Vice President of Chicago Flips Red, and Cata Truss, a regular contributor on FOX News.

Carter-Walters recently testified before Congress, arguing that the city’s sanctuary policies are harming already underserved neighborhoods and called for a forensic audit of taxpayer spending on migrant services.

Carter-Walters has emphasized that her stance is rooted in law and accountability—not opposition to immigrants. 

"For so long, we allowed Jasmine Crockett and we allowed Al Sharpton to tell these false narratives about what's going on, and they don't even live in our communities," Carter-Walters recently told America Reports. "They stay in those gated communities, and they don't have to deal with what we have to deal with on the ground level." 

Representing the Hispanic community are Pastor Daniel Matos of the Coalition of Latino Ministers of Civic Matters and Pastor José Acevedo. Organizers say these voices will help connect broader immigration policy issues to the experiences of local residents.

Tickets are $20 and include access to an all-you-can-eat buffet. A cash bar will also be available. The event is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased at SaveILCoalition.com or through the affiliated platform Just Vote On It.

For more details, visit SaveILCoalition.com.