Pritzker, Johnson Push Back Against Trump’s Plan to Send Federal Troops to Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday they will fight President Donald Trump’s plan to send federal troops and immigration agents to Chicago, calling it unlawful and politically motivated.

At a joint news conference, Pritzker said there is “no justification” for federal forces in the city.

“Any kind of troops on the streets of an American city don’t belong unless there’s an insurrection, unless there is truly an emergency — and there’s not,” Pritzker said.

Johnson signed an executive order barring Chicago police from cooperating with federal troops or agents. The order requires officers to keep their body cameras on and remain identifiable to avoid being mistaken for federal personnel.

“We will not allow our police department to be used as an extension of a federal occupation,” Johnson said. “If necessary, the city of Chicago will take this matter to court.”

Trump reiterated earlier Tuesday that he intends to send National Guard soldiers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Chicago, citing crime as the reason. He has also threatened to deploy federal forces to Baltimore.

The president said he has authority to act without state approval, a claim Democrats and legal experts dispute. His administration has already faced lawsuits over previous deployments in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Last week, a federal judge in California ruled that Trump’s use of National Guard troops in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement. The ruling, which takes effect Sept. 12, could influence future cases in Illinois.

Pritzker said Trump’s proposal is “an authoritarian overreach” that undermines state authority and constitutional principles.

Officials said violent crime in Chicago has declined significantly, with homicides and shootings at their lowest levels in nearly a decade. They argued that Trump’s claims of a city in crisis are misleading and politically motivated.

“This is about politics, not public safety,” Johnson said. “Chicago is not a prop for campaign theater.”