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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson voiced concerns Monday about potential federal troop deployment to his city as part of former President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, warning the move could be unconstitutional and legally challenged.
Speaking at a City Hall news conference, Johnson responded to reports of federal plans to escalate immigration enforcement in sanctuary cities like Chicago, calling the idea a threat to civil liberties and local governance.
“It’s just another example of his animus towards working people,” Johnson said. “I think it’s important that the president respects the Constitution. If you’re asking me whether this president will work with city leaders, it’s clear he’s not interested in doing that.”
Johnson’s remarks came in response to a statement from a Trump administration official to Rolling Stone, saying, “Chicago is next, if they go too far,” in reference to recent protests and the city’s sanctuary policies.
“The second they do, the president is prepared to prove that nobody is above the law,” the official added.
The comments follow anti-ICE and anti-Trump protests in Chicago that echoed demonstrations nationwide, prompting federal officials to reportedly monitor the situation closely—especially after the Trump administration deployed National Guard forces to Los Angeles.
“We will continue to resist,” Johnson said. “Whether it’s in the courts, in the streets, or through public policy, we’re going to stand up for working people.”
Mary Richardson-Lowry, the city’s Corporation Counsel, emphasized the legal limitations of such a deployment. “We believe it is a violation of the Constitution to deploy troops or National Guard absent authority under the Constitution,” she said.
Last week, Johnson called for Chicagoans to “rise up” against ICE and what he called immigration enforcement “terrorism.”
Chicago has received more than 51,000 migrants from the southern border since August 2022, many bussed from Texas under GOP Gov. Greg Abbott’s relocation effort.
The latest tensions come after Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker testified before Congress last week in defense of the state’s sanctuary city policies.
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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