Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that no city is off-limits when it comes to federal law enforcement deployment, adding that even Republican-led states could see agents and officers on their streets if crime levels demand it.
Her comments came after President Trump’s controversial moves to send the National Guard and federal law enforcement into Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., actions that drew backlash but which the administration has defended. Chicago is now on notice, with Noem confirming on CBS’s Face the Nation that DHS is increasing resources for Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Illinois and other states. She cited the arrest and removal of 5,000 individuals in Los Angeles, crediting the earlier deployment with preventing the city from “burning down.”
Pressed on whether other major cities could see the same, Noem said DHS is working closely with sheriffs, mayors, and local officials who want help, but she emphasized that every city — including San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, and others — should consider reaching out if they want to “make their city safer.” When asked about crime in Republican-led cities such as Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Jackson, Mississippi, Noem was blunt: “Absolutely. Every single city is evaluated for what we need to do there to make it safer.” She declined, however, to provide specific timelines.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, also appearing on Face the Nation, blasted the administration’s approach, accusing DHS of “inflaming passions and causing disruption that doesn’t need to be caused.” He labeled the actions “anti-American” and vowed Illinois would not work with DHS on immigration enforcement, insisting his state would instead focus on tackling violent crime through its own channels.
Noem fired back, accusing Pritzker of letting his ego get in the way of protecting residents. “We are removing dangerous criminals off the streets,” she said, framing the deployments as necessary despite the political tension they’ve sparked.