(The Center Square) – The federal government is looking into buying more property in Chicago to continue conducting federal law enforcement efforts.
Members of the Illinois and Texas National Guard have been mobilized for the next two months in Illinois. This follows clashes between protesters and federal agents, including suspects using vehicles to ram federal agents vehicles. The guard is operating with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as the lead agency.
The state of Illinois sued the Trump administration Monday. A motion for a temporary restraining order is pending a judge’s order Thursday midday.
After an unrelated event Thursday morning in Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker criticized the use of the National Guard as an overreach. He blamed federal agents for clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
“In my view their using as pretext the … choices that [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and [Customs and Border Patrol] are making on the ground, the things they’re doing on the ground, in order to cause problems on the ground that could end up being an issue of disorder and then they … make it look legal to send in troops, they say it’s about protecting the facility, they say it’s about protecting ICE agents, officers.”
Pritzker’s comments came simultaneously as President Donald Trump was having a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington D.C.
“We stop crime and they allow crime. They want crime. It doesn’t make sense,” Trump said Thursday when talking about Chicago. “We stop it and they actually incite it. It’s crazy.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the government is buying more buildings in Chicago to conduct their activities.
“What they are trying to do with these riots and violence is they’re trying to distract us” from going after suspects, Noem said.
Noem said they plan to see crime numbers drop in Chicago with continued DHS activities.
“If we have to do the hard way in Portland and Chicago, we will,” Noem said.
Pritzker said Trump’s use of the National Guard to protect federal assets enforcing federal law doesn’t make sense as Trump has said his efforts are to reduce crime.
“He wants everybody to think he’s bringing down crime. He’s doing nothing of the sort,” Pritzker said. “He’s cutting funds from crime prevention.”
Pritzker said using the National Guard is “a huge mistake.”
“The government doesn’t want it there, but we do,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, noting the pending litigation being discussed in federal court in Chicago during the White House cabinet meeting.
“The people want it,” Trump said of his public safety efforts.
Without naming names, Pritzker said some Republicans have privately raised concerns.
“And how it is we can protect, because remember, even in these Republican districts, these federal agents are disrupting things and causing real havoc,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker asked what if the tables were turned if this happened with a Democratic president and a Republican state.
