Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Saturday directing the city to use “every legal mechanism” to fight back against any potential move by President Donald Trump to deploy federal agents or National Guard troops to Illinois, NBC reported.
Johnson, a Democrat, said the action was necessary to protect the city from what he described as “overreach.” Speaking at a press conference, he vowed to challenge Trump’s potential federal plan to support law enforcement in Chicago through the courts, if needed.
“We find ourselves in a position where we must take immediate, drastic action to protect our people from federal overreach,” Johnson said. We will use “every single tool that is at our disposal, and that includes the courts.”
The executive order outlines several measures, including clarifying what assistance Chicago police can provide to federal agencies, prohibiting officers from covering their faces or department logos while on duty, and affirming that the city’s police will not collaborate with the military on patrols or immigration enforcement.
“This order affirms that the Chicago Police Department will not collaborate with military personnel on police patrols or civil immigration enforcement,” Johnson said. “We will not have our police officers, who are working hard every single day to drive down crime, deputized to do traffic stops and checkpoints for the president.”
Johnson’s announcement comes as Trump has already deployed federal forces to Washington, D.C., and threatened similar action in other cities, including Baltimore. The Washington Post reported earlier this month that the Pentagon has been involved in planning for a potential deployment to Chicago, while NBC News reported that federal authorities were preparing to surge agents into the city to target unauthorized immigrants.
Johnson warned that the city had “credible reports” suggesting such activity could begin within days. “It is unclear at this time what that will look like exactly,” he said. “We may see militarized immigration enforcement. We may also see National Guard troops. We may even see active-duty military and armed vehicles in our streets.”
The White House quickly dismissed Johnson’s order. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson accused the mayor of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome.” She said Democrats should instead focus on crime in their own cities. “Cracking down on crime should not be a partisan issue, but Democrats suffering from TDS are trying to make it one,” Jackson said.
Trump border czar Tom Homan said Friday that Chicago was a priority target for the administration. “Chicago is coming, along with every other sanctuary city,” he told Fox News. “President Trump is committed that we’re going to focus on and prioritize sanctuary cities because that is where the problem is.”
Vice President JD Vance, speaking in La Crosse, Wisconsin, echoed Trump’s position that federal help should be welcomed. “What the president has said is that, very simply, we want governors and mayors to ask for the help,” Vance said. He later singled out Chicago, questioning why officials resist federal support while crime persists.
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