President Donald Trump announced he’s sending federal law enforcement to Chicago, despite opposition from Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, both Democrats. The governor shared that the state was blindsided by the move, having learned about a deployment 72 hours before Trump’s announcement.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday he will send federal law enforcement to Chicago in response to what he said is rising crime. He claimed violent crime is rising in the city, but according to FBI data for 2024, Chicago’s homicide rate is below the national high. Officials in Illinois agree that federal help is needed, but not with federal agents, Johnson said.
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The president claimed the city had about 20 fatal shootings in the past three weeks that he hasn’t seen in other countries.
“Chicago is a hellhole right now,” Trump said.
According to FBI data, Chicago saw 14,245 violent crimes in 2024. The data includes 461 murders or non-negligent manslaughter cases, 1,551 reported rapes, 91,626 reports of property crime and 22,663 reports of stolen vehicles.
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Chicago reported having a homicide rate of 17.47 per 100,000 people in 2024, fewer than one-fourth the rate Jackson, Miss. reported at 77.8 per 100,000 people, according to FBI data.
Trump added that Baltimore will see a similar type of enforcement. However, he didn’t detail when he’ll send agents to both cities.
Pritzker and Johnson held a joint press conference after Trump’s, where he vowed to fight troop deployments in court and said the president insulted the city by calling it a “hellhole.” He revealed that U.S. Customs and Border Protection called the Illinois State Police on Saturday to inform them that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be deployed to Chicago.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the reports during a Sunday interview with CBS News.
He nor any other officials were aware of it until that moment, Pritzker said. It broke the tradition of previous presidents coordinating federal support for major events and to address violent crime.
“Donald Trump’s administration has not been working in coordination with the city of Chicago, Cook County or the state of Illinois,” he said.
Pritzker also claimed an “unauthorized” source told him that the Texas National Guard is preparing to deploy to Chicago, according to WTTW, a local television station based in Chicago. He declined to name the source. Gov. Greg Abbott’s office refuted Pritzker’s claim.
Violent crime in Chicago
Trump told reporters he’s moving forward with his plans of sending federal law enforcement to Chicago after learning about “50 people were shot,” 20 killed in the past three weeks in Chicago. According to reports, at least 53 people were shot over the three-day Labor Day weekend. But statistics from the police department paint a different picture.
According to the city’s police department, Chicago has had 278 murder complaints so far in 2025, a 31% reduction compared to 2024. Historically, 2025 is on track to post some of the lowest violent crime rates the city has seen in three years, with 63,191 reported as of Aug. 31. That marks a 13% reduction compared to 2024 at the same time of year, which is also lower than reports between 2022 and 2024.
The FBI has shared data that suggested Chicago is better situated than other cities. According to the bureau’s crime data, Chicago had the 22nd-highest homicide rate in 2024 with 17.47 per 100,000 people.
The top five highest rates were:
- Jackson, Miss. at 77.8
- Birmingham, Ala. at 58.8
- St. Louis at 54.1
- Memphis, Tenn. at 40.6
- Baltimore at 34.8
Trump took credit for Washington, D.C.’s falling crime rate since agents were deployed to the capital city on Monday, Aug. 11. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told Fox News on Monday, Aug. 25, that federal law enforcement has made more than 1,000 arrests and reported zero homicides since their deployment.
Mayor signs directive on federalization
Johnson said Saturday, Aug. 30, that he doesn’t know what a militarized Chicago would look like. He told reporters on Saturday it could be immigration enforcement, National Guard troops, active-duty military or armed vehicles patrolling the city’s streets.
“Our people have not asked for this. But nevertheless, we find ourselves having to respond to this,” Johnson said.
The Chicago police union, however, said on Monday that “some federal help is wecome and appreciated.” The group wrote on Facebook that while crime is down, “the murder mindset is not” and the department is in need of more officers.
Johnson signed an executive order on Aug. 30 that put several measures in place to keep the Chicago Police Department locally-controlled and declare it won’t cooperate with federal patrols, arrests or immigration enforcement. Should federal officers be sent to Chicago, Johnson’s order suggests those agents comply with the police department’s mask, body camera and officer identification policies.
The city has worked successfully with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the past to target gangs, drug traffickers and other groups who committed crimes in Chicago, Johnson said. That’s changed with Trump focusing more on immigration enforcement, which has allowed firearms to be trafficked into the city, he said.
“Stop threatening to send troops or ICE,” Johnson said in his message to Trump. “Stop defunding our communities. Just do your job and end the trafficking of guns into our city.”
