Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) said on Tuesday that the real reason why his city had a Labor Day weekend filled with shootings and other crimes is because Republican-run states have more gun rights than Illinois.
Johnson made his remarks after President Donald Trump confirmed that he will be sending National Guardsmen and federal law enforcement into Chicago to lower the city’s crime rate.
‘Chicago will continue to have a “violence problem” as long as Red states continue to have a gun problem.’
“We’re going in. I didn’t say when. We’re going in. … This isn’t a political thing. I have an obligation. When 20 people are killed over the last two and a half weeks, and 75 are shot with bullets,” Trump said, pointing to how his deployment of personnel to Washington, D.C., has made the city safer.
Johnson and Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) have repeatedly said they do not want the extra help to address crime.
“Chicago will continue to have a ‘violence problem’ as long as Red states continue to have a gun problem,” Johnson reiterated on X. “The endless flow of illegal guns into Chicago can be traced to Red states like Mississippi, Indiana, and Louisiana. It is up to the federal government to step up and stop interstate gun trafficking networks.”
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Johnson said the “vast majority” of firearms used in crimes do not come from Chicago. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Firearms Trace Data for 2023, at 9,147, Illinois was the number-one source state of guns that were recovered. Indiana was number two at 2,796.
Johnson rallied protesters on Labor Day, telling the cheering crowd, “Are you prepared to defend this land? This land that [was] built by slaves. The land that was built by indigenous people. The land that was built by workers. Are you prepared to defend this land? I need you all to stand firm, to stand strong, if this president decides to continue to break this Constitution.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on Sunday that extra immigration agents will be sent to the sanctuary city in a manner similar to what has been happening in Los Angeles, using U.S. Border Patrol agents.
RELATED: Federal judge says Trump unlawfully sent military troops into Los Angeles
It remains to be seen where National Guardsmen will placed in Chicago after they are deployed there. Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez (D) suggested that the soldiers protect the tourist areas of the city so that Chicago police can go back to patrolling other areas of the city that have higher crime rates.
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Politics
