Liberals lose their minds over church's sign about open borders, vilify black pastor as a 'white supremacist'



A church in Illinois has caused a stir after putting up a sign about illegal immigration and open borders. Liberals are having a meltdown over the sign, even vilifying the black pastor as a "white supremacist."

The New Hope Community Church is located in Palatine, Illinois, roughly 30 miles northwest of Chicago.

'People are getting triggered by the word "immigration."'

On Feb. 5, the church featured a new sign that read: "Heaven Has Strict Immigration Laws. Hell Has Open Borders."

Pastor James Pittman noted that there was no controversy about the sign for the first "six days it was up" until "someone got wind of it."

Local news outlets ran stories about the sign and then CNN reportedly requested an interview.

Pittman told WLS-TV, "Immigration is a topic in the communities, so what we've been doing on our sign for quite some time is take what's going on in the community and turn it towards heaven."

Pittman said he is open to having conversations about the sign's message.

"The immigration we were talking about is very clear in the sign: heaven and hell. And our message is very clear, the scriptures are clear, not everybody makes it to heaven," Pittman stated.

Pittman addressed the alleged controversy in a 14-minute video.

The New Hope Community Church issued a statement on its official Facebook page that read:

We want to be clear concerning this sign. We did not mention nor intended this sign to be about US immigration policy. We understand that immigration is a hot topic today and wanted to use that to turn people's attention heavenward. We did not mention any country or any people group. We do not believe that all go to heaven and wanted the community to examine their relationship with Almighty God. People are getting triggered by the word 'immigration.' We took a stand on 'immigration' to heaven, not to the United States. Are we not free to use the word immigration on a church post?

However, some in the Palatine community are up in arms about the church's sign.

"Part of why we moved to Palatine was the diversity being able to show our kids that, and everyone should have opportunity, and love each other, and seeing something like this is really upsetting," said Palatine resident Katharine Huddleston.

Lisa Beth Szczupaj — president of the Palatine Elementary District 15 school board — told the Daily Herald, "It is unfortunate that a couple of phrases that some adults feel to be clever are posted in the face of many innocent schoolchildren having to ask parents, friends, and adults what they mean and why. Pulling kids into the edginess and politics of the moment is absolutely inappropriate and causes real fear for our school-age children.”

Resident Theresa Greinig added, "I couldn't quite believe that that was a message going out in my community."

Greinig told WLS that she is mobilizing the community to create "signs of positivity" to place around the New Hope Community Church.

Some critics have allegedly called Pittman a "white supremacist." Pastor Pittman is black.

Comments on the church's official Yelp business page were disabled after it was inundated with likely fake negative reviews this week.

"This business recently received increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news," Yelp stated on the New Hope Community Church's page.

"While we don’t take a stand one way or the other when it comes to this incident, we’ve temporarily disabled the posting of content to this page as we work to investigate whether the content you see here reflects actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events," the statement continued. "Please note that we apply this same policy regardless of the business and regardless of the topic at issue."

Before the comments were turned off, several detractors slammed the church's Yelp page with one-star reviews in the past week.

A Yelp user claimed, "The church sign on display promotes so much hate. I'm sad for our diverse community of Palatine to have read such ignorant messages."

Another user wrote, "Do NOT. And I repeat, do not go here. This is not your normal warm, welcoming, compassionate church. These people are bigots and racists against Latinos. Starting from the pastor and down to all the parishioners. Look for another church and give your donations there. Do not even step foot in there if you're undocumented or LGBTQ+. You've been warned."

A commenter said, "Not a good church! Don't come here. They do not welcome immigrants or minorities. Do yourself a favor and find a better church!"

Another added, "Church that promotes hate and racism. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place."

One review read, "DO NOT RECOMMEND. Racist, discriminatory, unwelcoming church. Not sure what type of 'God' you praise ... but God stated to love thy neighbor and your message is NOT it. SHAME ON YOU."

The church had received a total of 14 negative reviews in the past decade, nine of which were posted in the past week after the church made headlines with its sensitive sign.

A majority of the recent one-star reviews were made by Yelp reviewers who were not from Illinois, including four from liberal California and one from Washington, D.C.

Despite the backlash, Pittman declared that he is sticking to his faith and doesn't plan on changing the sign anytime soon.

"We push one man and one man only here and that's Jesus Christ," Pittman proclaimed.

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Concealed-carrying garbage truck driver turns the tables on wannabe armed robbers — 1 of whom pays ultimate price



A concealed-carrying garbage truck driver turned the tables late last month on a pair of would-be armed robbers in Chicago, fatally shooting one of them and wounding the other, police said.

Chicago police told WLS-TV the shoot-out occurred around 5:15 a.m. Jan. 31, just steps away from a high school in the Homan Square neighborhood on the city's West Side.

'Another reason why everyone should carry.'

The station, citing police, said a 28-year-old man working as a garbage truck driver was outside in the 900 block of South Homan Avenue when two males approached him, showed a gun, and announced a robbery.

But it seems the pair chose unwisely.

Police told WLS the suspects and the victim — who has a valid Firearm Owner's Identification card and Concealed Carry License — engaged in a shoot-out.

One of the suspects, 42, was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene, the station reported.

The other suspect, 20, was shot in the neck and was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition, WLS noted.

The victim was take to St. Anthony Hospital in good condition for an evaluation, the station said.

WLS reported that the garbage truck belongs to Flood Brothers Disposal and that the station wasn't able to reach the owners for comment on the morning of Jan. 31.

Police recovered two weapons from the scene, the station said, adding that Area Four detectives are investigating.

You can view a video report here about the incident.

How are people reacting?

A number of video commenters were decidedly in the victim's corner:

  • "This is how you do it, Democrats!" one commenter said. "Watch and learn."
  • "The garbage collector disposing of more than just regular trash," another user stated. "Helping rid us of the two-legged garbage."
  • "Self-Defense 101," another commenter declared.
  • "Another reason why everyone should carry," another user wrote.
  • "I hope he doesn't get fired," another commenter noted. "It's not his fault he had to defend himself."

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Trump DOJ Sues Chicago Over Sanctuary City Law

'Countless criminals being released'

Trump's DOJ sues Chicago over sanctuary city laws 'thwarting' ICE



President Donald Trump's Department of Justice has ramped up its efforts to dismantle sanctuary laws by filing a lawsuit on Thursday against Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago that alleges their policies "impede" federal immigration enforcement.

The complaint also named Governor J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and other local officials.

'The conduct of officials in Chicago and Illinois minimally enforcing — and oftentimes affirmatively thwarting — federal immigration laws ... has resulted in countless criminals being released.'

Specifically, the DOJ accused the Illinois TRUST Act, the Chicago Welcoming City ordinance, and the Way Forward Act of hindering Immigration and Customs Enforcement's efforts to detain and deport illegal aliens.

The Illinois TRUST Act, signed into law in 2017, says, "State law does not currently grant State or local law enforcement the authority to enforce federal civil immigration laws." It includes a "prohibition on enforcing federal civil immigration laws."

"A law enforcement agency or law enforcement official shall not detain or continue to detain any individual solely on the basis of any immigration detainer or civil immigration warrant or otherwise comply with an immigration detainer or civil immigration warrant," it reads.

Chicago's Welcoming City ordinance was passed in 2012 by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D).

The ordinance states that city agencies and agents cannot "arrest, detain, or continue to detain a person solely on the belief that the person is not present legally in the United States."

Both laws prevent local jurisdictions from honoring ICE detainers, which request that a criminal illegal alien currently in local custody be held up to 48 hours beyond their release date to allow immigration officials to safely transfer the individual to federal custody.

The Way Forward Act was enacted in 2021 and amended the TRUST Act to provide additional protection to illegal aliens. It states that "a law enforcement agency or law enforcement official may not inquire about or investigate the citizenship or immigration status or place of birth of any individual in the agency or official's custody or who has otherwise been stopped or detained by the agency or official."

The DOJ's lawsuit claimed that the state and local laws are "designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution."

The agency further stated that the policies "obstruct the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law" and "impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe."

It continued, "Upon information and belief, the conduct of officials in Chicago and Illinois minimally enforcing — and oftentimes affirmatively thwarting — federal immigration laws over a period of years has resulted in countless criminals being released into Chicago who should have been held for immigration removal from the United States."

The complaint accused sanctuary jurisdictions of effectively being "safe havens" for criminal illegal aliens seeking to evade federal law enforcement agents.

It argued that the laws prevent ICE and the Department of Homeland Security from identifying illegal aliens who are subject to removal by restricting the information local governments can share with federal agents. The DOJ contended that such local laws contradict federal laws that "prohibit state and local governments from refusing to share information."

A DOJ official told the New York Post that the administration's immigration enforcement effort includes "an all-hands-on-deck approach," noting that the lawsuit is "one tool in our tool belt."

"This lawsuit will put the spotlight on obstruction by state and local officials and their refusal to support the administration and compliance with the law. The law says people who are here illegally are not allowed to stay here; they should be deported. So we want to make sure those impediments are taken away," the official told the news outlet.

"These states and localities advertise themselves as sanctuary jurisdictions. They are inviting people here who are illegal, and they're promising to protect them from federal law enforcement," the official continued. "That's inconsistent with federal law, and it's impeding federal law enforcement efforts, and these laws need to be struck from the books because they're incentivizing illegal immigration into the country."

The DOJ anticipates that the lawsuit may go all the way to the Supreme Court, the official added.

During Attorney General Pam Bondi's first day on the job, she directed the DOJ to halt federal funding to sanctuary cities.

The DOJ official told the Post that it was "no coincidence" that the lawsuit was filed shortly after Bondi's swearing-in.

"She is right out of the gate sending a clear message to other sanctuary jurisdictions," the official stated.

Pritzker's office responded to the lawsuit, stating, “Unlike Donald Trump, Illinois follows the law. The bipartisan Illinois TRUST Act, signed into law by a Republican governor, has always been compliant with federal law and still is today. Illinois will defend our laws that prioritize police resources for fighting crime while enabling state law enforcement to assist with arresting violent criminals. Instead of working with us to support law enforcement, the Trump administration is making it more difficult to protect the public, just like they did when Trump pardoned the convicted January 6 violent criminals. We look forward to seeing them in court.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle stated that the county plans to “fight back.”

“We will pursue every legal opportunity to defend the programs that we believe in and defend our values,” Preckwinkle said.

Johnson’s office did not respond to requests for comment from The Hill or Newsweek.

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Trump DOJ Sues State of Illinois, City of Chicago for Not Enforcing Immigration Law

The Department of Justice under newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi sued the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago on Thursday, arguing that their sanctuary laws "interfere" with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.

The post Trump DOJ Sues State of Illinois, City of Chicago for Not Enforcing Immigration Law appeared first on .

Obama's $800M Presidential Center Slapped With DEI Lawsuit

Barack Obama's long-delayed and aesthetically monstrous presidential center in Chicago could face even further delays after a local subcontractor filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against one of the firms managing construction on the project. The lawsuit, filed last month in federal court by the Chicago-based concrete and rebar firm II in One, accused Thornton Tomasetti, the New York-based company overseeing structural engineering and design on the Obama Presidential Center, of imposing "excessively rigorous and unnecessary" inspection standards and engaging in racial discrimination by singling out the black-owned firm for errors resulting in "extreme financial loss and reputational hardship."

The post Obama's $800M Presidential Center Slapped With DEI Lawsuit appeared first on .

Chicago Mayor Johnson passes buck to feds over illegal alien sex offender living unchecked in city: 'That's their job'



Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) passed the buck to the federal government when asked why his administration failed to prevent an illegal alien who was convicted of sex crimes from roaming the city's streets.

A reporter questioned Johnson on Tuesday about the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids led by President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan.

'The problems with the sanctuary city — people like this walking the streets.'

"Tom Homan showed up in Chicago and within 24 hours found a convicted sex offender who has been living in our city since 2009, flouting the sex offender registry. If he can do this, why can't you?" the reporter asked.

Johnson responded, "Because that's their job."

"That is their job," he continued. "The federal government has a responsibility to make sure that individuals who are undocumented who have been charged with, convicted of a crime, it is the federal government's responsibility to do their part to uphold the law. Our local police department, along with our public health department, along with our other sister agencies are working to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, and as we've stated repeatedly, those critical investments, continue to see the results of those investment as violent crime continues to fall in Chicago."

Over the weekend, ICE conducted deportation operations that resulted in the arrest of hundreds of criminal illegal aliens. Dr. Phil McGraw joined Homan and federal immigration agents in Chicago.

A video posted online showed McGraw questioning a newly detained convicted child sex offender from Thailand, Sam Seda.

Seda admitted to McGraw that he was not an American citizen.

"This is an example of sanctuary cities," Homan told McGraw. "We've got an illegal alien convicted of sex crimes involving children, and he's walking the streets of Chicago."

"Again, the downfall, the problems with the sanctuary city — people like this walking the streets, rather than local law enforcement working with federal agents. This is what we're dealing with," Homan added.

McGraw asked Seda whether he had been charged with sex crimes involving children.

"Not really," Seda replied.

Seda told Homan and McGraw that he had never been deported from the U.S. before.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced this week that it has launched an investigation into several sanctuary cities, including Chicago, and their impact on public safety and federal immigration enforcement. As part of this investigation, the committee has invited Mayor Johnson to testify at a hearing scheduled for February 11.

Additionally, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have been asked to testify, as their cities are also subjects of the committee's ongoing probe.

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Luxury Gifts: Watchdog Report Exposes Dem Mayor For Allegedly Violating Ethics Ordinance

Nearly 75% of gifts accepted during Lightfoot’s tenure were not assigned