Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has ordered local police officers to not cooperate with federal law enforcement and the national guard.
The mayor has been an ardent critic of the president who recently deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C. to decrease what he claimed was a spike in crime in the area, despite evidence to the contrary. Soon after, Trump suggested that he may choose other cities to which he would activate federal intervention.
On Saturday, Johnson signed an executive order directing local officers to refrain from aiding immigration agents and military, including the National Guard, with arrests and other operations if Trump deployed them to Chicago. The order requires officers to wear their uniforms, identify themselves, adhere to body camera policy, avoid face masks, and enforce local laws.
“We do not have the luxury of time, ” Johnson said. “We have received credible reports that we have days, not weeks, before our city sees some type of militarized activity by the federal government. It is unclear at this time what that will look like exactly.”
Johnson said that his executive order is a game plan for city employees and residents to “stand up against this tyranny.”
Johnson has also urged federal agents to follow the same mandates as local law enforcement under his order.
The White Hiouse has responded by calling the Chicago mayor’s order a “stunt” that targets Trump’s plan to deal with crime in the city.
“If these Democrats focused on fixing crime in their own cities instead of doing publicity stunts to criticize the president, their communities would be much safer,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson.
Mayor Johnson warned that suing the administration is not out of the question.
“We will use the courts if that’s necessary,” he said.
