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Kristi Noem, who serves as Donald Trump's homeland security secretary, referred to Chicago as "a combat zone" on Sunday. This came after federal agents shot a woman, while the governor of Illinois claimed the federal government of worsening the situation rather than resolving it.

Noem's Appearance on Fox News

During an appearance on a news channel on Sunday, Noem targeted the Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson. Johnson has been a vocal critic of the federal immigration operations and sending of the national guard in Illinois, an action 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 actual conditions," remarked. "His city is a war zone and he’s lying so that criminals can enter and harm residents."

Government Action and The President's Order

Noem’s remarks followed the president's order to deploy hundreds of personnel of the Illinois national guard to Chicago, with instructions to protect government agents and property. The move occurred just weeks after military personnel were sent to Washington, where the president federalized the local police in what he called a "clampdown" on crime, a pattern now extending to multiple other US cities. "We will address Chicago likely soon," the president stated previously.

The Secretary's Justification of Government Measures

The governor supported the government's strategy, insisting on television that residents supported the government intervention. "Residents know that where we have gone we have made it much more free," she remarked. "People are much safer, we have removed numerous offenders that are no longer roaming of Chicago, just because our presence is established."

Illinois Governor Governor Pritzker Responds

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, the Democratic Illinois governor, Governor Pritzker, claimed the federal government of fueling the crisis rather than solving it. "It is they who are turning it into a battlefield," he said.

"They need to get out of Chicago. Unless they concentrate on the most dangerous criminals, as the commander-in-chief promised they are going to do, they should depart immediately."

Border Patrol Shooting Details

Border patrol agents on Saturday fired at and wounded a female while firing at someone who tried to run them over. The injured female was a US citizen and was carrying a firearm, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, noting that the woman was alleged in a US Customs and Border Protection intelligence bulletin last week of revealing agents' private information.

Pritzker's Condemnation on Online Platform

Pritzker also condemned the action in a post on X on Saturday, writing: "The Trump Administration’s security agency presented a demand: call up your troops, or we shall." He labeled the decision "absolutely outrageous and un-American," and added that it had been made "against our will".