Federal Funding Freezes are Harming IL Workers, Families, & Public Institutions

Illinois is under attack. Trump is directing his fire at our most vulnerable neighbors, and it feels like Pritzker isn’t mounting the strongest defense for them and us. Trump has frozen over $1 billion in critical federal funds, a deliberate blow to the essential services our families rely on. These cuts are not only cruel, they’re political. We need our Governor to deliver the bold and progressive revenue solutions we need right now, but Gov. JB Pritzker is playing it safe. How will our neighbors survive?

We must be absolutely clear on what’s happening:

$1 BILLION IN FUNDS FOR CHILD CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES: FROZEN

100,000 families, including more than 150,000 children - our students - will lose critical support they need due to the Trump administration’s freezing of the Child Care and Development Block Grants, Social Services Block Grant, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Despite providing no evidence, Trump is once again weaponizing baseless claims of fraud to slash vital programs. While these attacks escalate, Gov. JB Pritzker continues to delay bold state-level action, leaving Illinois families to pay the price.

THIS IS PART OF A PATTERN.

Trump has paused federal funding to Illinois several times in the last year, for social services, schools, infrastructure, and climate-related improvements. These actions are clearly politically motivated, as Trump openly targets “blue” states and cities run by Black mayors. As a result, his decisions put Illinois workers and families directly in the crossfire.

For our families, it’s not a political game. It’s having to quit a job because there’s no longer affordable childcare. It’s skipping rent to pay for food. It’s teachers and staff having to take on more to support their students. It’s school district budgets, already stretched thin, stretching further to fill gaps caused by deliberate federal actions. It’s cut programs at universities, higher caseloads at state agencies, and our weakened local economies that suffer.

AND IT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE.

Illinois gives far more to the federal government than we get back. We’re what’s called a donor state, so when federal aid gets frozen, we’re not just being punished, we’re being robbed.

Our tax dollars are sent out, and when we need them most, they don’t come back. Gov. JB Pritzker should be leading the charge against this injustice, but instead, he’s holding back on the funding our communities urgently need.

WE MUST KEEP FIGHTING BACK.

The bottom line is that these freezes, these attacks on our communities, are unjustified, punitive, and politically motivated. What’s worse is that they are destructive. Trump is making our communities weaker, making our jobs harder, and destabilizing the systems that Illinois workers, students, and families depend on to survive every day.

That’s why we’re demanding that Gov. JB Pritzker stop hedging and start leading. The revenue that was promised, progressive, fair, and fully funded, must become reality. The time for caution is over. While Trump attacks us from the federal level, Illinois can and must fight back at the state level. Our Governor has the power to protect working families and we’re demanding that he use it.

Here are two ways you can help:

• Take action on Full Funding Fridays every month leading up to May Day to show our power and demand that our state lawmakers find real solutions to protect our communities.

• Sign this letter urging Governor Pritzker to stand up against the MAGA threats, cuts, and occupation of our communities and instead, work with us to create state policy in Illinois that fights back and finally makes the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share.