TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETS ILLINOIS CASH BAIL ELIMINATION

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing federal agencies to pressure Illinois and other states that have ended cash bail. The order requires the U.S. attorney general to identify jurisdictions that “substantially” eliminated cash bail and instructs the Office of Management and Budget to find ways to withhold federal funds from those states.
Illinois became the first state to fully abolish cash bail in September 2023 under the Pretrial Fairness Act. The law shifted pretrial decisions to judges, who now determine whether defendants should be detained or released with conditions. Advocates argue the reform makes pretrial justice more about public safety than a person’s ability to pay.
Trump criticized the law Monday, claiming places without cash bail see higher crime and more failures to appear in court. He reinstated cash bail in Washington, D.C. through a separate order, while singling out Illinois for what he called poor leadership by Gov. JB Pritzker.
Pritzker pushed back, saying the president “really hasn’t read any of the background” or studied the results. Early research from Loyola University and Cook County court data show no increase in crime since cash bail ended. Judges continue to detain a majority of felony defendants, and most people released pretrial have appeared in court and avoided new charges.
Lawmakers who sponsored the Pretrial Fairness Act said Trump’s move is a political attack designed to stir fear, while Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie renewed calls to repeal the broader SAFE-T Act that contained the reform.
It remains unclear which federal funds, if any, Illinois could lose under the executive order.