Nationwide — President Trump has called for the arrest of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, accusing him of failing to protect federal officers as National Guard troops arrived in the city to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This week, Texas National Guard members were deployed to the Chicago area following what federal officials described as rising attacks on ICE facilities. The move came after a deadly shooting at an ICE building in Dallas, which Trump called “an attack on law enforcement.”
Linking the deployment to protests outside ICE offices in several cities, Trump argued that state and local leaders were failing to maintain order. On Truth Social, he wrote, “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE officers! Governor Pritzker also!”
Mayor Johnson, Chicago’s first Black mayor, responded that Trump’s comments were not new. In an interview with CNN, he said, “It’s certainly not the first time that Donald Trump has called for the arresting of a Black man, unjustly.”
He added that he had no plans to resign, saying, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to stay firm as the mayor of this amazing city.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also condemned Trump’s remarks, accusing Trump of trying to silence elected officials. “Trump is now calling for the arrest of representatives checking his power,” he wrote on X. “What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”
Trump defended his decision to send troops, saying he might invoke the Insurrection Act if courts or state leaders try to block his orders. “If people were being killed, and courts were holding us up, or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure I do that,” he said.
Chicago and Illinois officials have filed a lawsuit to stop the deployment, calling it unnecessary and politically motivated. The White House countered that the move was necessary due to rising violence against federal agents and a lack of cooperation from local authorities.
As the dispute continues, more hearings are expected in the coming days. For now, hundreds of National Guard troops remain stationed around Chicago, heightening tensions between city leaders and the Trump administration.