South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Labels Chicago a 'Battlefield' After Government Agents Injure Woman

Kristi Noem, who serves as Donald Trump's top security official, labeled Chicago as "a war zone" on Sunday. This occurred following government officers shot a woman, while the governor of Illinois accused the federal government of fueling the situation instead of fixing it.

The Governor's Comments on Fox News

During an appearance on a news channel on Sunday, Noem criticized the Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson. Johnson has publicly opposed of the Trump administration’s Ice raids and sending of the state troops in Illinois, a measure he labeled "irrational and harmful".

"This is incorrect, there should be consequences for that and for leaders that speak out and knowingly lie about the situation on the ground," remarked. "His city is a war zone and he’s lying so that criminals can go in there and destroy people’s lives."

Federal Deployment and The President's Order

These comments came after the president's order to send 300 members of the state guard to Chicago, with orders to safeguard government agents and property. This action occurred just weeks after national guard troops were sent to Washington, where the commander-in-chief took control of the local police in what he called a "clampdown" on crime, a strategy now reaching multiple other US cities. "We will address Chicago likely soon," the president stated previously.

The Secretary's Justification of Administration Measures

The governor supported the government's strategy, insisting on television that locals backed the federal involvement. "Residents know that in areas we've entered we have increased freedom," she remarked. "Safety has improved, we have removed numerous offenders that are no longer roaming of Chicago, simply because our presence is established."

State Leader Governor Pritzker Responds

Appearing on a CNN program on Sunday, the state's Democratic leader, Governor Pritzker, accused the administration of escalating the problem rather than resolving it. "It is they who are turning it into a battlefield," he said.

"They must leave of Chicago. If they’re not going to focus on the most dangerous criminals, which is what the president said they are going to do, they need to get the heck out."

Federal Agents Incident Details

Federal officers on Saturday shot and injured a woman while shooting at an individual who tried to run them over. The woman who was shot was a US citizen and was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated, noting that the woman was accused in a US Customs and Border Protection intelligence bulletin last week of revealing agents' private information.

Pritzker's Condemnation on Social Media

Pritzker also condemned the action in a message on a social media site on Saturday, writing: "The Trump Administration’s Department of War presented a demand: mobilize your forces, or we will." He labeled the decision "completely unacceptable and against American values," and noted that it had been made "without our consent".