(TNND) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined "angel families" in Illinois on Wednesday to draw attention to what she called "dangerous sanctuary policies" of the state.

“Since 2017, Illinois has been a sanctuary state,” Noem said at a Springfield, Illinois, news conference. “The results have been absolutely disastrous for people who live here.”

Noem said Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker is “protecting illegal criminals and not prioritizing the American citizens and the citizens of this great state.”

Pritzker pushed back on the Homeland Security secretary’s visit, calling it a “publicity stunt” and accusing the Trump administration of violating the Constitution while “taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process.”

Pritzker said in a news release Wednesday that his state follows the law.

Noem said the angel families who joined her at the news conference lost loved ones due to violence or illegal acts committed by undocumented immigrants.

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And she said they picked the spot for the news conference because it’s where a young woman, Emma Shafer, was killed by an illegal immigrant who is still on the run.

The family of Jimmy Walden, who was killed in a crash by an illegal immigrant, was among the angel families attending the news conference.

“Jim’s son, Jimmy, was a lance corporal in the Marine Corps, and he was killed on a motorcycle ride by a twice-deported illegal alien who had left his injured stepson in the car while he fled to get away from prosecution,” Noem said.

Jimmy Walden’s father, Jim, talked about his loss.

“It's a hole in your heart that'll never be filled,” the father said.

And he called on Pritzker to “be a true governor and stand by the federal laws and deport every one of them, every one of them. I don't care if they're 2 or 20 or 80. Send them back. We have a path to citizenship. It's called the naturalization process. Use it."

Pritzker said Americans are calling for “sensible, humane immigration reform.”

But he accused Noem of “performing for Fox News” rather than seeking real solutions.

Noem said Pritzker is perpetrating “violence and criminality against his citizens here in this state.”

“People who support sanctuary policies talk about love and compassion,” Noem said. “Well, where's the compassion for the families that stand behind me? Where's the compassion for Emma, who died on this street?”