SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge has issued a statement that rejects a stance taken by the National FOP concerning United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The National FOP on Tuesday sent a letter of support for Mayorkas ahead of an impeachment vote in the U.S. House of Representatives:
“The Illinois FOP State Lodge was not consulted concerning the National FOP’s letter supporting Secretary Mayorkas, and if they had consulted us, I am confident the answer from our 34,000-plus members would have been a resounding NO!” said Illinois FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood.
“Illinois’ law enforcement officers, particularly in our larger cities, have borne a disproportionate share of the burden from this administration’s disastrous border policies. We do not want to be a part of any letter supporting a man who has made our jobs much tougher and more dangerous, and who has strained public resources to the breaking point. Those resources could have been spent to keep our communities safer, but instead they are being used to fund services for people who are in this country illegally.
Membership wise, Illinois is the second largest FOP state in the U.S. and it’s disturbing the National FOP failed to allow the membership in Illinois to voice their concerns prior to the letter of support being issued.”
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FOP is the most respected and most recognized police organization in the country. The Illinois FOP, chartered in 1963, is the second largest State Lodge, proudly representing more than 34,000 active duty and retired police officers – more than 10 percent of all FOP members nationwide. Visit www.ilfop.org for more information.