Kristi Noem Describes Chicago a 'War Zone' Following Government Agents Shoot Woman

Kristi Noem, acting as President Trump's homeland security secretary, referred to Chicago as "a combat zone" on Sunday. This occurred following government officers shot a woman, and the governor of Illinois claimed the administration of fueling the crisis instead of resolving it.

The Governor's Appearance on Fox News

During an appearance on Fox News on Sunday, Noem targeted the Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson. Johnson has publicly opposed of the federal immigration operations and deployment of the state troops in Illinois, a measure he called "irrational and harmful".

"This is incorrect, there should be consequences for that and for leaders that stand up and deliberately mislead about the actual conditions," Noem stated. "Chicago is a battlefield and he’s lying so that lawbreakers can enter and destroy people’s lives."

Government Deployment and The President's Order

Noem’s remarks followed Trump’s authorization to send 300 members of the Illinois national guard to Chicago, with orders to safeguard government agents and facilities. This action happened just weeks after national guard troops were dispatched to Washington, where the president federalized the local police in what he called a "crackdown" on crime, a strategy now extending to multiple other US cities. "We will address Chicago likely soon," the president stated previously.

Noem's Defense of Administration Measures

The governor supported the administration’s course of action, stating on Fox that residents supported the federal involvement. "Residents know that in areas we've entered we have made it much more free," she remarked. "People are much safer, we have removed numerous offenders that are off the streets of Chicago, simply because our presence is established."

State Leader Governor Pritzker Replies

Appearing on a CNN program on Sunday, the Democratic Illinois governor, Governor Pritzker, accused the administration of escalating the problem rather than resolving it. "It is they who are making it a war zone," he said.

"They must leave of Chicago. If they’re not going to focus on the worst of the worst, which is what the president said they are going to do, they need to get the heck out."

Border Patrol Shooting Information

Border patrol agents on Saturday shot and injured a female while firing at someone who attempted to hit them. The woman who was shot was a US citizen and was armed with a firearm, a government spokeswoman an official said, noting that the woman was alleged in a federal agency intelligence bulletin last week of doxing agents.

The Governor's Condemnation on Social Media

Pritzker also condemned the deployment in a post on X on Saturday, writing: "The Trump Administration’s Department of War presented a demand: mobilize your forces, or we shall." He labeled the decision "absolutely outrageous and un-American," and added that it had been made "without our consent".