Macon Reporter

House District 88 candidate Regan Deering is criticizing both Governor J.B. Pritzker and President Joe Biden for their handling of border security, linking their policies to a recent major fentanyl bust in Marengo. 

Deering is running unopposed on the Nov. 5 ballot. 

“The recent fentanyl bust in Marengo is a direct result of Governor Pritzker and President Biden's open-border policies,” Deering told the Macon Reporter. “Biden has opened the border to criminals and Pritzker has invited them here with his soft-on-crime policies. Cartels are exploiting the open borders and weak policies to pump poison like fentanyl into our neighborhoods.” 

Deering's comments follow a significant drug seizure by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, in which Gloria Gastelum, 54, and German Vargas, 22, were apprehended with 120,000 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone.  

The seizure came only weeks after two Mexican nationals were caught in McHenry County allegedly smuggling 17 kilos of methamphetamine and fentanyl. 

“As a mother of teenagers, I refuse to stand by while our communities are flooded with deadly drugs, threatening the safety of our children,” Deering said. 

She emphasized that current policies are endangering communities. 

“For every Illinoisan, this means our children and our communities are at risk because of failed policies that prioritize criminals over law-abiding citizens. I’m here to say enough is enough,” she said. “We need strong, decisive action to secure our borders, toughen our laws, and protect our kids—no more excuses.”

Deering’s remarks come amid broader concerns about drug trafficking, with a recent DEA report describing the crisis as the “Deadliest Drug Crisis Ever” in America. 

The report highlights that 80% of street-level drugs in Chicago can be traced back to Mexican cartels like Sinaloa and New Generation. Critics of the Biden administration’s "Open Border" policies argue that these conditions have allowed cartels to flourish, exacerbating the drug crisis.

As Vice President Kamala Harris runs for president, former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have been attributing current immigration challenges to her.

This criticism underscores her previous critiques of Trump’s immigration strategies and Harris's position as the Biden administration’s “border czar,” a role she has tried to distance herself from following the entry of approximately 10.5 to 13 million undocumented individuals during her tenure.

House District 88 is located in east central Illinois and includes all or parts of Livingston, DeWitt, Macon, McLean and Piatt counties.