Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has sent President Donald Trump a formal demand letter and an attached “invoice” seeking $8,679,261,600 in what he calls compensation for tariff costs borne by Illinois households.
In the letter dated Friday, Pritzker wrote that Illinois families are owed a refund of $1,700 per household and cited a statewide household count of 5,105,448 to reach the $8.68 billion total. The invoice shown with the letter lists an “Invoice Date” of Feb. 20, 2026, labels the terms “PAST DUE – DELINQUENT,” and identifies the billing period as February 2025 through January 2026. It is marked as coming from “The People of The Great State of Illinois” and directed to “The White House,” with the payment line reading “The Working Families of Illinois.”
Pritzker’s letter argues that the tariffs “wreaked havoc on farmers,” angered U.S. allies, and pushed grocery prices higher, then says the Supreme Court has ruled the tariffs were unconstitutional and warns that Illinois will “pursue further action” if the administration does not comply.
The governor’s move follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize broad tariffs of the kind imposed under Trump’s emergency-based trade program. The ruling, issued Friday, narrows the scope of presidential power to levy sweeping import taxes without clear congressional authorization. The Court’s decision was summarized in coverage of the case and its practical fallout, including the prospect that businesses could seek refunds of duties already paid. CBS News Chicago reported on Pritzker’s letter and the $1,700-per-household calculation.
The Supreme Court ruling itself does not automatically issue checks to consumers, and refund mechanics typically run through claims by importers that paid duties at the border, with downstream effects on prices and contracts varying by industry. Still, Pritzker’s invoice frames the dispute as a household-level burden and positions Illinois to press the political and legal argument that the costs landed on families, not foreign governments.
The White House had not publicly responded in the initial reports. Pritzker’s office has not announced a specific lawsuit tied to the invoice, but the letter’s closing warning signals additional steps could follow if the demand is ignored.
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