So, Chicago’s on edge right now. Earlier this month, Trump threatened to send National Guard troops and ICE agents into the city. Governor Pritzker immediately shot back, saying Trump
doesn’t even have the legal authority to do that.
But behind the scenes, Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have been scrambling, trying to figure out how to protect the city if Trump actually follows through. Their conclusion? There’s not a whole lot they can do to stop it.
In the meantime, they’re preparing however they can. Pritzker, Johnson, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul are working closely together, and Raoul says he’s already putting a legal plan in place just in case. Immigrant rights groups are training volunteers to help with legal defense too.
Reactions across the city are split. Some people support Trump’s plan, but in a city that votes overwhelmingly Democratic, many are outraged. Community leaders in neighborhoods hit hardest by crime say bringing in troops could actually backfire, making it harder to build trust. Chicago’s police chief, Larry Snelling, added that CPD won’t be teaming up with ICE. He said flat-out that asking about immigration status “does nothing to help those relationships, and in fact, it hurts.”
At a press conference, Snelling said police won’t help federal officers—but they also won’t stand in their way. “We know people are living in fear,” he said. “We’re going to keep standing up for the people of this city to make sure they’re safe.”
And on Monday, Pritzker stood on the Chicago Riverwalk with Mayor Johnson and top Democrats and delivered a very blunt message to Trump:
“Mr. President, do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here nor needed here.” Photo by SC Guard, Wikimedia commons.
