CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday refused to request federal troops for Chicago, denouncing President Donald Trump’s planned deployment of federal agents as political theater while federal officers staged operations at a military base north of the city.
Speaking at a Tuesday news conference with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Pritzker said he would not ask Trump to send National Guard troops despite the president’s suggestion that governors should request federal assistance.
“Chicago does not want troops on our streets,” Pritzker said. “I refuse to play a reality gameshow with Donald Trump again.”
The governor said federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security began staging at Naval Station Great Lakes, about 35 miles north of Chicago.
The Chicago police union president told NewsNation he thought the National Guard could improve the situation in the city, but said it wouldn’t lead to a 13-day streak with no homicides like we saw in Washington, D.C.
“Geographically [Chicago is] too big,” Chicago FOP President John Catanzara told NewsNation. “You would need way too many Guardsmen to cover that much geographic area. I think we’d be happy if there was three days with no murders, not 13. That’d be a start. But I think it’s more about the perception of people feeling safe, and that matters to citizens, it matters to businesses who invest money.”
Trump earlier called Chicago the world’s “most dangerous city” and suggested he would send National Guard troops, though he provided no timeline.
Federal agents staging at Naval base 35 miles north of Chicago: Pritzker
Federal officers are scheduled to remain at the base through Sept. 30, according to internal emails obtained by news outlets. The military installation will provide “limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure and other logistical needs,” a spokesperson said.
Pritzker outlined what he expects in the coming days, based on similar operations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
He said unidentifiable masked agents plan to conduct raids in Latino communities, ostensibly targeting violent criminals but likely affecting law-abiding families. He said the timing coincides with Mexican Independence Day celebrations this month.
The governor said he believes Texas National Guard units have begun staging in Illinois and that Trump may deploy active-duty military to “protect ICE” operations. After 30 days, Pritzker predicted, Trump will move the federal assets to another Democratic-led city.
“It’s not about fighting crime, but about testing power to produce political drama to cover up corruption,” Pritzker said.
The governor cited statistics showing Chicago crime has declined significantly, with murders down nearly 50% over four years, shootings down 57% and robberies down 34%.
Mayor Johnson said the city doesn’t “want or need military occupation,” calling instead for federal action to stop gun trafficking. He said Chicago police have removed 24,000 illegal firearms since he took office, with most guns coming from states like Mississippi and Louisiana.
Border Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino posted a video on X saying his forces were trading palm trees in Los Angeles for skyscrapers. Sources tell NewsNation’s Ali Bradley that agents are en route to Chicago.
Trump targets Chicago, teasing takeover of ‘most dangerous city’
“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,” Trump wrote on social media, following a series of shootings over the Labor Day weekend that left eight people dead and dozens wounded.
He railed against crime in Chicago, Baltimore and California, suggesting he could once again send troops to the Golden State. Trump also indicated that he wants the governors of those areas to call him and ask for help, rejecting comments from local leaders who say their cities need housing and social services, not a military presence.
The president declared that he has made Washington, D.C., a “safe zone” by deploying armed members of the National Guard and federal agents.
This morning, a federal judge in California ruled that a similar deployment in Los Angeles violated the law.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said, “We won’t deny we have a serious crime problem in Chicago, like other cities across the nation. Recent reports of mass shootings are horrific. While Chicago’s crime problem is serious, it’s far from the worst in the country.”
Chicago police confirmed that eight people were killed and 58 people were injured in more than three dozen shootings that took place around Chicago over the three-day holiday weekend.
8 killed and 50 wounded in Chicago over long weekend
One of those killed in Chicago was a 46-year-old man who was fatally shot in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood when he was struck by crossfire.
Police said he was shot in the neck and the legs in the shooting, which included 14 seconds of gunfire that police said came from multiple shooters who were using at least four different guns.
Rolando Amato, a friend of the man who was killed, said he can see both sides of the ongoing debate on whether federal troops should be deployed to Chicago.
“We lose friends, family members, and all kinds of stuff all the time,” he told NewsNation. “Whether the National Guard can help that or not is up for debate. Something obviously needs to be done for innocent people not to get killed.”
Asked about his plans for Chicago on Tuesday, Trump said, “We’re going in” without providing specifics of when a deployment of the National Guard could take place.
He added: “I have an obligation (and) this isn’t a political thing,” Trump said, again highlighting the recent violence in Chicago, which he referred to as a “hellhole”.
Chicago leaders oppose Trump takeover
Johnson, the Chicago mayor, signed an executive order Saturday reaffirming that Chicago police officers answer to him, not to the federal government.
While Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Sunday that ICE would soon expand operations in Chicago, she said sending the National Guard alongside them is ultimately up to Trump.
“National guard troops, any kind of troops, on the streets of an American city don’t belong unless there’s an insurrection, unless there is an emergency — there is not,” said Pritzker.
Former Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told NewsNation that city leaders were “doing a pretty good job” on violent crime but that he believes they should work with the National Guard if troops do arrive.
“Most people in the city probably wouldn’t want the National Guard … if I were the mayor, I would call the president and see how this could work for both parties,” Johnson said.