Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Rejects Trump's Immigration Crackdown Plan“He's The Biggest Threat To Our Democracy

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson has pushed back against what he called the“out-of-control” Trump administration's plan to surge federal officers into the nation's third-largest city, a move that could happen as soon as September 5 and last for 30 days.

The mayor has signed an executive order on Saturday which will bar Chicago police from assisting federal authorities with civil immigration enforcement or any related patrols, traffic stops and checkpoints during the surge.

The mayor's order also prohibits Chicago police from wearing face coverings to conceal their identities, a practice that has been largely adopted by federal agents, particularly from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the Trump administration took charge this year. Johnson stated that the city will not“take orders from the federal government” and directed city departments to protect the constitutional rights of Chicago residents, PTI reported.

Trump administration's justification and threats

The federal surge is reportedly part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to expand the federal law enforcement presence in major Democratic-run cities, similar to an operation that took place in Los Angeles earlier this summer, PTI said.

Unlike the recent federal takeover of policing in Washington, DC, the Chicago operation is not expected to involve the National Guard or military, PTI said, quoting some officials who wished to remain anonymous.

Also Read | Trump calls out Chicago leadership: 'People desperate for me to stop the crime'

On Saturday, President Donald Trump commented on Chicago's crime rate on his Truth Social platform, specially criticizing Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, by stating“Six people were killed, and 24 people were shot, in Chicago last weekend, and JB Pritzker, the weak and pathetic Governor of Illinois, just said that he doesn't need help in preventing CRIME. He is CRAZY!!! He better straighten it out, FAST, or we're coming! MAGA. President DJT.”

The White House has insisted that the deployment is about“cracking down on crime.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cited some“unknown” statistics, comparing Chicago's murder rate to that of Pakistan's Islamabad and India's New Delhi. Leavitt said that“Chicago's murder rate is more than double that ofIslamabadand nearly 15 times higher than that of New Delhi,” a report by Hindustan Times said.

Chicago's stance and crime trends

Chicago is home to a large immigrant population, and both the city and the state of Illinois have some of the country's strongest rules against cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts, which has frequently put them at odds with President Donald Trump 's mass deportation agenda.

Mayor Johnson accused President Trump of“behaving outside the bounds of the Constitution” and seeking to use the federal presence as a political retribution against his rivals, adding that“He's the biggest threat to our democracy that we've experienced in the history of our country.”

Also Read | Trump asserts full power to deploy troops to Chicago: 'I have the right to do...'

Despite the White House warnings, Chicago police data cited by Bloomberg, shows a decline in crime. Murders reportedly fell 32% to 188 in the first half of the year, the lowest point since 2014, with overall violent crime declining by 23%, and vehicle theft dropping 28%. This data contrasts with the administration's rhetoric about the city being out of control.

Also Read | 'Do not come to Chicago': Illinois Guv warns Trump against sending troops

In a related development, lawmakers in California and Los Angeles County officials are considering new rules to ban law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from wearing masks. This comes after Trump's June deployment of thousands of troops to Los Angeles to support ICE raids and contain anti-deportation protests , the HT report said.

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