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According to the order, Chicago police will not assist the National Guard with immigration enforcement or related activities such as traffic stops and checkpoints. “This is about making a clear distinction between what our law enforcement does versus what federal agents do,” said Johnson during a news conference. “This president is not coming in and deputizing our police department.”
Johnson’s executive order lays out how the city will stand up against Trump’s actions, which he calls “tyranny.” The order ensures that Chicagoans are aware of their rights and that every city agency knows its role in protecting those rights.
“I don’t take orders from the federal government,” Johnson declared. Calling Trump “the biggest threat to our democracy we’ve experienced in the history of our country,” he emphasized his commitment to resisting federal overreach.
In response, President Trump has threatened Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, writing on social media that Pritzker is “CRAZY” if he thinks he doesn’t need Trump’s help fighting crime. “He better straighten it out, FAST, or we’re coming!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker warned Chicagoans to expect military checkpoints with “unidentified officers in masks” while taking their kids to school. However, he advised protesters to refrain from giving federal troops reason to engage.
Nearly 2,300 armed National Guard troops are currently stationed in Washington, DC, after Trump declared a public crime emergency there on August 11, despite declining violent crime rates according to Washington police data. Violent crime rates are also falling in Chicago.
President Trump has mentioned Baltimore, New York City, Los Angeles, and Oakland as potential federal targets, each with Democratic mayors in states led by Democratic governors.
