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South Dakota's governor, acting as President Trump's top security official, labeled Chicago as "a war zone" on Sunday. This occurred after federal agents injured a female, while the governor of Illinois claimed the administration of fueling the situation rather than fixing it.

The Governor's Comments on Fox News

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday morning, Noem criticized the city’s mayor, Brandon Johnson. Johnson has publicly opposed of the federal immigration operations and deployment of the state troops in Illinois, an action he called "unhinged and unhealthy".

"This is incorrect, there should be consequences for that and for leaders that speak out and deliberately mislead about the actual conditions," remarked. "Chicago is a battlefield and he’s lying so that lawbreakers can go in there and harm residents."

Government Action and The President's Order

These comments came after Trump’s authorization to deploy hundreds of personnel of the Illinois national guard to Chicago, with instructions to protect government agents and property. This action happened just weeks after military personnel were dispatched to Washington, where the commander-in-chief took control of the city’s police force in what he described as a "clampdown" on crime, a pattern now extending to a string of other US cities. "We will address Chicago probably next," the president stated previously.

The Secretary's Defense of Government Measures

Noem defended the administration’s course of action, stating on television that locals supported the government intervention. "They understand that where we have gone we have made it much more free," she said. "Safety has improved, we have got a thousand criminals that are off the streets of Chicago, just because we’ve been there."

State Leader JB Pritzker Replies

Appearing on a CNN program on Sunday, the Democratic Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, claimed the federal government of fueling the problem instead of resolving it. "It is they who are making it a war zone," he said.

"They must leave of Chicago. If they’re not going to focus on the most dangerous criminals, which is what the commander-in-chief promised they intend to do, they should depart immediately."

Federal Agents Incident Information

Federal officers on Saturday shot and injured a female while firing at someone 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, adding that the woman was accused in a US Customs and Border Protection intelligence bulletin last week of doxing agents.

The Governor's Condemnation on Social Media

Pritzker also condemned the action in a message on X on Saturday, stating: "The Trump Administration’s Department of War presented a demand: mobilize your forces, or we will." Pritzker called the decision "absolutely outrageous and un-American," and noted that it had been made "without our consent".