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President Donald Trump has publicly called for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to be arrested amid his federal crackdown on the city.
On Wednesday (October 8), Trump said Pritzer and Johnson, who have been resisting the president's deployment of federal forces, should be jailed for failing to protect ICE, per The Hill.
“Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] Officers!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Governor Pritzker also!”
Trump's comments come after his administration launched “Operation Midway Blitz" last month, targeting undocumented immigrants in the Chicago area. The operation has led to clashes between protesters, federal agents, and even local police, particularly outside an ICE facility in Broadview, a suburb of Chicago.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requested additional security assistance to protect ICE facilities across Illinois, citing escalating tensions. Over the weekend, the Department of Defense federalized up to 300 members of the Illinois National Guard. Trump has also reportedly ordered 400 National Guard troops from Texas to be dispatched to Chicago, Portland, and possibly other cities "where needed."
Pritzker and Johnson have both sharply criticized the deployments as unconstitutional and unnecessary, arguing that immigration enforcement should not override state authority or civil rights. On Monday (October 6), the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago sued to block the deployment of National Guard troops, calling it a dangerous federal overreach.
Trump, however, has repeatedly accused the two Democratic leaders of failing to maintain public safety, describing their opposition as “aiding chaos.”
Neither Pritzker nor Johnson has responded directly to Trump’s call for their imprisonment, but legal advisers for the state say they are preparing for a “constitutional battle in court.”
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