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CHICAGO, Ill. (WMBD) — In a bold move, Governor JB Pritzker has formally requested a refund from President Donald Trump following a pivotal Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the president’s extensive tariff measures.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a decisive 6-3 decision, determined that President Trump lacked the authority to implement these tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This judgment comes in response to the administration’s imposition of 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China, which were justified by the president as a response to national emergencies related to drug trafficking and trade imbalances.
The ruling saw Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito dissenting, standing in contrast to the majority opinion.
The decision has sparked reactions from Illinois congressmen, who have voiced their opinions on the Supreme Court’s rejection of the tariffs.
In his letter, Priztker demanded the return of $8.6 billion that he claims Trump “stole from Illinois families.”
The letter reads as follows:
President Trump,
Your tariff taxes wreaked havoc on families, enraged our allies, and sent groceries prices through the roof. This morning, your hand-picked Supreme Court Justices notified you that they were also unconstitutional.
On behalf of the people of Illinois, I demand a refund of $1,700 for every family in Illinois. There are 5,105,448 households in my state, bringing the total damages you owe to $8,679,261,600.
The Supreme Court has ruled that this is yet one more unconstituional act by you and your administration. This letter and the attached invoice stand as an official notice that compensation is owed to the people of Illinois, and if you do not comply we will pursue further action.
According to the Associated Press, federal data shows the United States Treasury had collected more than $133 billion from the import taxes the president has imposed under the emergency powers law as of December.