Posted on 10/08/25
| News Source: WSJ
President Trump said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker should be imprisoned for failing to protect immigration agents—without specifying what laws the Democratic leaders allegedly broke.
Trump made the statement Wednesday on Truth Social, as Illinois leaders condemned the president’s ramp up in immigration raids and recent federalization of National Guard troops in the state. Trump’s threat didn’t quiet their criticism.
“This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested,” Johnson said on social media. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Pritzker in an interview on MSNBC responded by calling Trump “a wannabe dictator,” saying: “If you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me.”
Trump has sparred with several Democratic-led states over his efforts to deploy troops to cities including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Ore., citing a need to protect immigration officials and manage crime. He told reporters Tuesday: “Chicago’s a great city, but you can’t be a great city if you have murders and if you have a lot of problems, and they do.”
Roughly 500 soldiers—300 from the Illinois National Guard and 200 from Texas—are present in the greater Chicago area, according to U.S. Northern Command.
Illinois and Chicago have filed a lawsuit to block troop deployments, arguing that Trump’s order reflects a longstanding hostility to the city and its leaders rather than a true emergency requiring a military response.
Some Chicago residents said they don’t agree with Trump’s words, or his actions.