Trump Claims Chicago Police Superintendent Prioritizes Needs of Illegal Immigrants
In a speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference and Exposition on October 28 in Chicago, President Trump slammed the host city Chicago as “embarrassing to us as a nation.” Trump went on to say that Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson puts the needs of illegal immigrants above the needs of the law-abiding residents of Chicago, saying, “I want Eddie Johnson to change his values and to change them fast.”
Chicago Police Superintendent Johnson, the host of the conference, refused to attend the speech in protest of Trump’s attendance, and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot refused to meet with Trump while he is in her city. In his response to Trump’s comments, Johnson said:
“I can’t in good conscience stand by while racial insults and hatred are cast from the Oval Office or Chicago is held hostage because of our views on new Americans…the national narrative that Chicago is a city on fire is just simply not true. Facts matter… (Chicago has three years straight of) double-digit reduction (in crime and there are) 17 neighborhoods in this city that are safer than Manhattan and LA.”
The Trump administration policies have been at odds with Chicago and Illinois leadership:
- Ahead of announced ICE raids in July 14, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the city and state won’t coordinate in any way with federal immigration officials.
- The Chicago Police Department instructed officers not to aid DHS with immigration arrests or detentions and instead to wait until a CPD supervisor arrives on the scene and gives instructions.
- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has permanently banned ICE officials from accessing the city’s police databases.