JB Pritzker calls for 'all to stand up' to Trump's immigration crackdown in Chicago

Source: The Guardian

Sun 31 Aug 2025 15.21 EDT
First published on Sun 31 Aug 2025 14.47 EDT


Illinois’s governor JB Pritzker has called on “all to stand up” to Donald Trump as the US president prepares to launch a federally led immigration crackdown across Chicago, a plan which has been met with widespread backlash from local leaders and the public.

Pritzker’s comments come as White House officials vow to target Chicago next in its sweeping immigration crackdowns across the country. Recently, the White House requested that a US military base on the outskirts of Chicago assist with immigration operations as the Trump administration plans a broader takeover of Democratic-run “sanctuary cities”.

Pritzker, a Democrat, told CBS on Sunday: “Any kind of troops on the streets of an American city don’t belong unless there is an insurrection, unless there is truly an emergency. There is not … I’m going to do everything I can to stop him from taking away people’s rights and from using the military to invade states. I think it’s very important for us all to stand up.”

Pritzker spoke after Trump on Saturday took to Truth Social to rant about Pritzker and Chicago, saying: “JB Pritzker, the weak and pathetic Governor of Illinois, just said that he doesn’t need help in preventing CRIME. He is CRAZY!!! He better straighten it out, FAST, or we’re coming!” Meanwhile, Pritzker said that no one from the Trump administration has contacted his team, the city of Chicago or any other local officials.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/31/jb-pritzker-trump-chicago-illinois