President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “should be in jail” for pushing back against his federal immigration enforcement in the city.
The president accused the Democratic leadership of “failing to protect” Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who Trump has sent to Chicago to conduct sweeping raids as part of his mass deportation agenda.
Pritzker and Johnson have opposed Trump sending in federal law enforcement to the city and refused to comply with the president’s request for National Guard troops to protect immigration officers – though Trump overruled their objections over the weekend, sending the Texas National Guard in.
“Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Pritzker responded on X, promising he will “not back down” and claiming Trump is “on the path to full-blown authoritarianism.”
Johnson responded, telling CNN’s The Situation Room, “This is not the first time Donald Trump has called for the arresting of a Black man, unjustly. I’m not going anywhere.”
“This president is unstable, unhinged, a double-minded individual that, quite frankly, is a threat to our democracy,” Johnson said.
Trump has previously called for his political opponents to be jailed, such as New York City’s Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani or his former presidential race opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump’s Justice Department has opened investigations or sought indictments against perceived enemies like former FBI Director James Comey and former Obama administration officials.
The Trump administration claims that Pritzker and Johnson’s efforts to limit federal officers' presence in Chicago are putting immigration agents in danger but the Democrats say it’s their efforts to limit the chaos imposed by the White House.
“Their plan all along has been to cause chaos, and then they can use that chaos to consolidate Donald Trump’s power,” Pritzker said Monday during a news conference.
Tensions are rising in Chicago between residents and federal law enforcement as immigration authorities use aggressive tactics to arrest and deport the highest number of undocumented people possible.
Over the weekend, a woman was shot and wounded by federal Border Patrol agents. The Department of Homeland Security said it occurred after authorities were boxed in and rammed by vehicles.
The woman has been charged for allegedly ramming a vehicle but her attorney said body camera footage shows authorities taunting her before the shootout.
Pritzker and Johnson have taken action to limit Trump’s enforcement in the state and city.
Pritzker filed a lawsuit Monday to try to stop Trump from federalizing the Illinois National Guard and sending troops into Chicago. Hours later, Trump sent members of the Texas National Guard into Chicago.
Johnson also signed an executive order prohibiting ICE and other federal agents from using city property for civil immigration enforcement.
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