Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) stated Wednesday that he supports deporting illegal aliens who are convicted of violent offenses and would be open to meeting with President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration.

In response to recent comments by Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, Pritzker told WFLD that he is open to removing some illegal immigrants from the country.

'I do not want them in my state.'

During an event in Chicago earlier this week, Homan had a clear message for Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson: Either help the incoming administration with deportations or "get out of the way."

He vowed to start the deportation plans "right here in Chicago."

"If the Chicago mayor doesn't want to help, step aside. But if he impedes us, harbors or conceals illegal aliens, I will prosecute him," Homan warned.

Chicago is a sanctuary city that prohibits local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist with deportation efforts.

Homan has repeatedly argued that such policies protect criminal illegal aliens. He has further noted that efforts by liberal state and local leaders to hinder deportation efforts will only result in ICE deploying more officers in those communities. Homan explained that Johnson's pledge to protect illegal aliens would produce the "exact results he's bitching about."

Following Homan's remarks, Pritzker initially refused to respond.

His office said, "Rather than responding to every ridiculous boast from Trump lackeys, Governor Pritzker is focused on what he was focused on during the first Trump term: leading our state with competence instead of chaos."

However, on Wednesday, Pritzker stated that he supports deporting violent illegal aliens.

"Violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime should be deported," Pritzker said. "I do not want them in my state; I don't think they should be in the United States."

He said he would welcome a meeting with Homan or the incoming Trump administration but claimed no one had contacted him.

Last month, Pritzker told MSNBC host Joy Reid that he would do everything within his power to "protect our undocumented immigrants," calling them "residents of our state."

"I want to be clear that there are certain circumstances in which the federal government, state governments should work together to allow deportation. An example would be somebody who's been convicted of a violent crime," he said.

"But they are talking about rounding up people who are law-abiding undocumented immigrants in this country, many of whom are working, paying taxes, not getting any benefits from those taxes, I might add," Pritzker stated, referring to foreign nationals who illegally entered the country.

He claimed that Trump's mass deportation plan "may be unconstitutional."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!