Political tension between the White House and Illinois officials reached a new level this Wednesday, October 8, when President Donald Trump publicly called for jailing Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, accusing them of “failing to protect” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during raids in the city.
“The mayor of Chicago should be in jail for not protecting ICE agents! And so should Governor Pritzker!” wrote Trump on his Truth Social network, reiterating his displeasure with both Democrats for opposing Operation Midway Blitz, the federal operation ICE launched a month ago in the Chicago metro area.
Tension between Trump and Chicago mayor and Illinois governor
The president had already criticized on Tuesday from the Oval Office what he described as the “inability” of local authorities to control crime and support federal immigration efforts.
However, official data from the Chicago Police Department contradict those claims: homicides in the city have fallen 28% in the last year and nearly 50% since 2021, according to official figures.
“We will not take a step back.”
The response was not long in coming.
“I won’t take a step back. Trump now calls for the arrest of elected representatives who test his power. What else is left on the road to outright authoritarianism?” wrote Pritzker on X (formerly Twitter).
I will not back down.
Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power.
What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism? pic.twitter.com/TieJ2irYv5
– Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) October 8, 2025
The governor accused the president of maintaining an “obsessive fixation” on Illinois and using immigration as a political tool, going so far as to imply that Trump is acting “out of insanity or revenge.”
For his part, Mayor Brandon Johnson was blunt:
“I’m not going anywhere. This is not the first time Trump has tried to unfairly arrest a black man.”
This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested. I’m not going anywhere. pic.twitter.com/MQdHtzis3t
– Major Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) October 8, 2025
Johnson defended that the city has the right not to collaborate with massive immigration raids and that his administration prioritizes the safety of all residents, “regardless of their immigration status”.
Troops on alert in Chicago
The political conflict comes as some 200 Texas National Guard troops are already stationed at a base southwest of Chicago, ready to deploy, and another 300 Illinois National Guard troops are preparing to join in the coming days.
The U.S. Army Northern Command indicated that troops will initially remain in the area for 60 days, with the stated goal of “protecting federal agents and government buildings” in the face of protests against the raids.
However, pro-immigrant organizations and civil rights groups denounce that these operations are mainly affecting Latinos and migrants with legal status, generating fear and confusion in neighborhoods such as Pilsen, Little Village and Cicero, where ICE has made arrests in residential and work zones.
U.S. District Judge April Perry of the Northern District of Illinois is scheduled to rule Thursday on a request to temporarily restrict the military deployment after declining to issue a preliminary injunction on Monday.
Meanwhile, tension is growing in the “Windy City,” where thousands of residents, community leaders and local organizations are preparing marches to protest the raids. Pritzker and Johnson reiterated that they will defend local autonomy from the federal government and protect immigrant communities, which represent more than 20% of the state’s population.
¡El alcalde de Chicago debería estar en la cárcel por no proteger a los agentes de ICE! ¡Y el gobernador Pritzker también!
Presidente Donald Trump
Filed under: Tension between Trump and Chicago mayor and Illinois governor.
