Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Saturday aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard to the city in response to rising crime.
The order, called the “Protecting Chicago Initiative,” declares that the city will resist what Johnson called an “unconstitutional and illegal military occupation.”
Johnson Pushes Back Against Trump
“The City of Chicago will do everything in our power to defend our democracy and protect our communities,” Johnson said in a statement. “We do not need nor want an unconstitutional and illegal military occupation of our city.”
Johnson said his order was prompted by credible reports that federal militarized activity could take place “in days, not weeks.”
The move comes as the Trump administration considers using Naval Station Great Lakes near Chicago as a staging ground for DHS immigration enforcement operations involving more than 200 agents.
Executive Order Details
The order reaffirms that the Chicago Police Department will remain a locally controlled agency. It also threatens legal action against federal officers if they do not comply with city policing standards, which include:
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Prohibiting the use of masks or concealed identities.
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Requiring active body cameras during all engagements.
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Mandating visible identifying information, such as badges and uniforms.
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Barring CPD cooperation with military or federal units inside the city.
Johnson explicitly called on Trump to “stand down” from any National Guard deployment threats.
Broader Political Clash
President Trump has repeatedly criticized Chicago’s leadership, calling the city “a mess” under an “incompetent mayor.” He vowed that federal action would “straighten out” the crime situation, citing his recent deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also opposes federal intervention, siding with Johnson despite Trump’s reported success in reducing crime in the nation’s capital.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson dismissed Johnson’s order as a political stunt.
“If these Democrats focused on fixing crime in their own cities instead of doing publicity stunts to criticize the President, their communities would be much safer,” Jackson said. She added that “cracking down on crime should not be a partisan issue.”
Jackson pointed to Democrat Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, who recently praised the Trump administration’s crime-fighting measures in the capital.
Trump is playing 3-D chess with Democrats, skillfully boxing them into supporting crime because of their blind hatred of him. He owns ‘law & order’. Dems own crime.