🔗 Share this article

Kristi Noem, who serves as Donald Trump's top security official, referred to Chicago as "a war zone" on Sunday. This came after federal agents injured a female, while the governor of Illinois accused the federal government of fueling the crisis instead of fixing it.

The Governor's Appearance on Television

Speaking on a news channel on Sunday, Noem criticized the Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson. The mayor has been a vocal critic of the federal immigration operations and deployment of the state troops in Illinois, an action he labeled "unhinged and unhealthy".

"It’s wrong, penalties are necessary for that and for leaders that speak out and deliberately mislead about the actual conditions," remarked. "His city is a battlefield and he is dishonest so that lawbreakers can enter and destroy people’s lives."

Federal Action and The President's Authorization

Noem’s remarks followed the president's order to send 300 members of the Illinois national guard to Chicago, with orders to protect government agents and facilities. The move happened just shortly after military personnel were sent to Washington, where the president federalized the local police in what he called a "clampdown" on crime, a pattern now reaching a string of other US cities. "We’re going to be doing Chicago likely soon," Trump had said previously.

The Secretary's Justification of Government Actions

Noem defended the government's strategy, stating on Fox that locals backed the government intervention. "Residents know that where we have gone we have made it much more free," she said. "Safety has improved, we have removed numerous offenders that are no longer roaming of Chicago, just because our presence is established."

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Replies

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, the state's Democratic leader, Governor Pritzker, accused the federal government of fueling the problem instead of solving it. "It is they who are making it a war zone," he said.

"They must leave of Chicago. If they’re not going to focus on the most dangerous criminals, which is what the commander-in-chief promised they are going to do, they should depart immediately."

Border Patrol Shooting Information

Border patrol agents on Saturday shot and injured a woman while shooting at someone who tried to run them over. The woman who was shot was a American and was carrying a firearm, a government spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin stated, adding that the woman was alleged in a federal agency alert last week of doxing agents.

Pritzker's Condemnation on Social Media

The governor also denounced the deployment in a post on X on Saturday, stating: "The federal Department of War gave me an ultimatum: mobilize your forces, or we shall." He labeled the decision "completely unacceptable and against American values," and added that it had been made "against our will".