One senior law enforcement official told CNN that there are plans to send federal agents to Chicago through the end of the summer. The agents will focus on illegal gun sales and gun violence and outstanding warrants, among other targets, according to one of the sources. Both sources said an announcement could be made in the coming days.
“I have great concerns about that particularly given the track record in the city of Portland. I spent a lot of time yesterday talking with the mayor or Portland to get a sense of what has happened there. We don’t need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the streets and holding them, I think, unlawfully. That’s not what we need,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot said that instead the federal government could help stem the violence by cracking down on illegal guns.
Trump said Monday he will send federal law enforcement to certain cities, “all run by very liberal Democrats,” in the latest example of his “law and order” messaging.
“We’re not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia, Detroit and Baltimore and all of these, Oakland is a mess. We’re not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats,” Trump said.
Asked about the potential of sending federal agents to Chicago, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN, “DHS does not comment on any allegedly leaked operations.”
CNN’s Jason Hoffman contributed to this story.