Kristi Noem Says Chicago Is 'a War Zone'; Illinois Governor Fires Back: 'They're the Ones Making It One'

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday called Chicago "a war zone," defending the Trump administration's deployment of federal forces to the city after a weekend confrontation between agents and local residents left one woman injured and multiple people arrested.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Noem criticized Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has opposed the administration's immigration raids and deployment of the National Guard. "It's wrong," Noem said. "There should be consequences for leaders who knowingly lie about the situation on the ground. His city is a war zone, and he's lying so that criminals can go in there and destroy people's lives."

The comments came after Department of Homeland Security officials said agents in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood were boxed in by several vehicles on Saturday morning. DHS said agents opened fire after one driver, identified as Marimar Martinez, rammed a federal vehicle while allegedly armed with a semi-automatic weapon. Martinez and another suspect, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, were later arrested and charged with assaulting federal officers.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker pushed back on CNN's State of the Union, accusing the administration of escalating tensions rather than easing them. "They are the ones who are making it a war zone," he said. "If they're not going to focus on the worst of the worst, which is what the president said they were going to do, they need to get the heck out."

Governor Pritzker also condemned the deployment on social media, calling it "outrageous and un-American" and saying the decision was made "against our will." DHS said special operations teams have since been dispatched "to restore law and order" in Chicago.

FBI Director Kash Patel on Sunday confirmed the arrests of Martínez and Santos Ruiz on Sunday, describing them as "domestic terrorists" accused of "attacking our federal law enforcement officers." He added: "attack our law enforcement, and this FBI will find you and bring you to justice."

Patel said both suspects are being prosecuted under federal law for forcibly assaulting or impeding officers performing their duties. DHS stated that several federal agents were injured during the confrontation, while others were forced to abandon damaged vehicles as protesters clashed with authorities.

President Donald Trump recently authorized the deployment of 300 members of the Illinois National Guard to Chicago to protect federal property and assist border and immigration enforcement agents. The order followed similar deployments in Washington, D.C., and other cities, part of what Trump has called a national "crackdown on crime."

Noem defended the decision, saying residents welcomed the federal presence. "They understand that where we have gone we have made it much more free," she said. "People are much safer. We've got a thousand criminals off the streets of Chicago just because we've been there."