Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) accused President Donald Trump of “inciting” citizens to violence against ICE and border patrol agents due to what he called the president’s “unconstitutional invasion” of Chicago and surrounding cities.
The governor made the claim during a press conference on Monday afternoon while flanked by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), who has also spent much of the last two months complaining about the president’s push to crack down on crime and illegal immigration.
“Let me be clear: Donald Trump is using our service members as political props and pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,” Pritzker said.
He then blasted DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, saying they have brought their “militarized” CBP and ICE agents to Chicago “to cause violence and chaos.”
Pritzker added, “They need to stop inciting our city’s residents.”
Pritzker made similar comments on Sunday, when he told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Trump had “incited” anti-ICE protestors to fight federal officials, merely by having them deployed to The Windy City.
More than a dozen people were arrested at an anti-ICE protest in Broadview, Illinois on Friday. Fox News reported observing
Things continued to escalate on Saturday, when federal agents were rammed and “boxed in by 10 cars,” including a woman with a semi-automatic gun who had posted online she wanted to ‘f*ck up’ ICE,’ Fox’s Bill Melugin reported.
Soon after,White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called on the full power of the federal government to dismantle “leftwing terrorism,” saying it’s “the only remedy” for what ails the United States.
President Trump vowed last month that he was sending troops into Chicago after being disgusted by how many people were shot over Labor Day Weekend.
“When I watch television last night, and I’m watching the news and I see that nine people were killed in Chicago and 54 were badly wounded with bullets, I say, ‘That’s not our country. We have to do something,’” Trump said in early September.
ABC 7 in Chicago reported 58 people were shot in the city over the holiday weekend, which was an 87% surge from the same time the year before.
Pritzker said he does not buy it. Rather than make Chicago safer, the governor said Trump wants to cause havoc.
“The Trump Administration is following a playbook: cause chaos, create fear and confusion, make it seem like peaceful protestors are a mob by firing gas pellets and tear gas canisters at them.
You can watch his comments above, via MSNBC.