Durbin accused the administration of engaging in authoritarian tactics, including aggressive immigration enforcement in Democratic-leaning cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, arresting civilians without warrants, and using federal agents in ways he branded unconstitutional. He also criticized a Justice Department effort to obtain voter rolls from states, suggesting it could lead to unwarranted purges and voter disenfranchisement.
“If you’re Donald Trump,” Durbin said, “you want those voter rolls to push unwarranted purges and disenfranchise voters — especially voters who aren’t likely to support you in the next election… And I fear the President of the United States is working to rig the system to ensure that Republicans never lose another election.”
