Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, where she discussed the potential for deploying the National Guard to U.S. cities, particularly Chicago.
Noem emphasized that while specifics were not disclosed, she stated, “We haven’t taken anything off the table.”
When asked about the timing of operations in Chicago, Noem referenced ongoing activities conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Chicago and throughout Illinois.
She mentioned the intention to allocate additional resources to these operations without going into detail for safety and investigative reasons. “I want to make sure we keep their security our number one priority,” she added, underscoring the commitment to target serious crimes such as murder, rape, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.
In her comments, Noem deferred to President Donald Trump regarding what operations in Chicago might entail, particularly when reflecting on the deployment of federal troops during protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles earlier this year.
She noted, “I won’t speak to the specifics of the operations that are planned in other cities, but I do know that L.A. wouldn’t be standing today if President Trump hadn’t taken action.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who also appeared on the program, condemned the idea of deploying the National Guard to Chicago, labeling it “un-American.”
Pritzker pointed out that residents of Chicago are well aware of such situations and expressed hopes that federal troops would not accompany ICE forces.
“I hope that they don’t send any troops along with ICE, and if they do, they’ll be in court pretty quickly because that is illegal,” he asserted, referencing the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
Noem responded to Pritzker’s remarks by highlighting the city’s crime statistics. “For 13 consecutive years, Chicago had more murders than any other American city,” she stated.
She pointed out that in the previous year, Chicago recorded three times the number of murders compared to Los Angeles and five times more than New York City.
Pritzker replied to Trump’s characterization of Chicago as a “hellhole,” suggesting the former president seems preoccupied with the city.
“Notice he [Trump] never talks about where the most violent crime is occurring, which is in red states,” Pritzker added, defending Illinois’ standing in terms of violent crime rates.
Noem countered his assertion by indicating that deploying troops to red states is not out of the question.
“We absolutely are not looking through the viewpoint at anything we’re doing with a political lens,” she clarified.
In a related discussion, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington D.C., weighed in on the impact of deploying National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, stating that it has significantly transformed the city’s safety landscape.
“Washington was one of the most violent cities, not just in the United States, but in the world,” she remarked during her appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”
Pirro highlighted ongoing violent incidents in the city and criticized the arrests that were not being made.
In her collaboration with D.C.’s mayor and local law enforcement, she emphasized the need for proper sentencing for violent offenders.
“If President Trump didn’t do this, Washington would continue to be one of the most violent cities in the world,” Pirro concluded.
She reaffirmed that anyone opposed to the deployment of the National Guard was prioritizing politics over the safety of residents.
The contrasting views between federal officials and state leadership paint a complex picture of the ongoing discussions surrounding law enforcement and public safety in urban areas as the potential for further military involvement looms.
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