Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Vows to Stop Trump Sending in Troops to Stop Violence
Trump readies to make good on repeated threats to stamp out gun violence
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Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot vowed to stop President Donald Trump sending in federal law enforcement officials to end the escalating violence in her city.
Lightfoot said she would “use every tool” she has to prevent the federal government from sending in the police, similar to what happened in Portland.
Last week, federal law enforcement officials followed through on the Trump Administration's promise to “quell” the violence in Portland
But Lightfoot wasn't happy about the prospect of the same happening in her city.
The Chicago Tribune reported:
Chicago may see an influx of federal agents as soon as this week as President Donald Trump readies to make good on repeated pledges he would try to tamp down violence here, a move that would come amid growing controversy nationally about federal force being used in American cities.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, for example, is crafting plans to deploy about 150 federal agents to the city this week, the Chicago Tribune has learned.
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“Well, first of all, as a former federal prosecutor, I know that if resources are brought in to augment existing federal infrastructure under the control and direction of a local U.S. attorney, there might be a value add," Lightfoot said.
"But look at what’s happened in Portland. What we have there is no advance notice to the local authorities, no notice to the local U.S. attorneys’ office, and having these armed, camouflaged individuals, with no insignia on, no nameplates, grabbing people off the street," she added.
"That’s unconstitutional. So, our democracy is at stake, and I’ll be darned if I’m going to let anybody, even if their name is Mr. President, bring those kind of troops to our city and try to take off our residents," Lightfoot warned.
"That’s not going to happen in Chicago, and if they try it, I’m going to use every tool at my disposal to stop them.”
Neon Nettle reported on Monday that Chicago saw nearly 50 shootings and eight people dead under Lightfoot's watch.
Among the victims were a 14-year-old boy, a 21-year-old man, and a 27-year-old woman.
On Sunday afternoon, a gunman got out of a car and fired shots at two boys – ages 10 and 11 – and a 27-year-old man, according to Fox 32.
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But Lightfoot has blamed both President Trump and "too many guns" for the soaring violence in her city.
The Mayor also blamed police leadership for the escalating gun crime.
“We’ve got an unhinged leader of the Fraternal Order of Police, who is craven in trying to get — generate attention," she said.
"Now, he has asked for that. But reasonable, local police officials, including our superintendent, know that this is a dangerous road for us to go down," Lightfoot added.
"We’re not going to have people that don’t know our streets, don’t know our neighborhoods, and then are engaging in clearly unconstitutional conduct, operating at will in our city. That is chaos. That is lawlessness.”
Earlier this month, leaked audio revealed Chicago officials pleading with Lightfoot to take action on the violence.
City officals warned the Mayor that the vulnerable had lost access to medicine and food due to the chaos.
One official could even be heard weeping, while others denounced the soaring gun crime, which they say was spiraling out of control.
