As president promises federal action, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker take steps to oppose what Pritzker calls ‘an invasion.’
President Donald Trump on Sept. 2 said that he will “soon” take actions to deal with crime in Chicago, weeks after he sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.
“At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 8 people were killed. The last two weekends were similar,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to police reports. “Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far,” and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker “needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet.”
“I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, and soon,” the president said.
In 2024, Chicago had 573 homicides, more than in any other U.S. city, according to Wirepoints, an independent Illinois research organization.
Trump’s comments were made as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced over the weekend that he was taking action against federal immigration enforcement.
“I am signing an executive order that directs all of our City’s departments to protect Chicagoans and not collaborate with federal overreach,” Johnson said in an Aug. 30 post on X.
The mayor’s order bars city police from assisting federal agents in immigration or joint patrols, calls on federal officers to identify themselves and wear body cameras, and directs city departments to explore legal and legislative steps to resist federal actions. It also urges Trump to “stand down” from deploying troops.
Over the weekend, Pritzker told CBS News that he doesn’t want troops sent to Chicago and that he would consider it “an invasion.” He accused Trump of acting in an authoritarian manner.
A federal judge on Sept. 2 ruled that the Trump administration violated federal law by using U.S. military assets in Los Angeles in June in response to riots that broke out as federal agents conducted a crackdown on illegal immigration
