🔗 Share this article Kristi Noem Labels Chicago a 'Combat Area' After Federal Agents Injure Woman South Dakota's governor, acting as Donald Trump's homeland security secretary, referred to Chicago as "a combat zone" on Sunday. This occurred following government officers shot a woman, while the governor of Illinois accused the federal government of worsening the crisis rather than resolving it. The Governor's Comments on Fox News Speaking on Fox News Sunday morning, Noem targeted the city’s mayor, Brandon Johnson. Johnson has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration operations and deployment of the state troops in Illinois, a measure he labeled "unhinged and unhealthy". "It’s wrong, there should be consequences for that and for leaders that stand up and deliberately mislead about the actual conditions," Noem stated. "His city is a war zone and he’s lying so that lawbreakers can go in there and destroy people’s lives." Federal Action and Trump's Order These comments came after the president's order to deploy 300 members of the Illinois national guard to Chicago, with instructions to safeguard government agents and facilities. This action happened just weeks after military personnel were sent to Washington, where the commander-in-chief took control of the local police in what he called a "crackdown" on crime, a pattern now reaching multiple other US cities. "We will address Chicago probably next," Trump had said previously. The Secretary's Justification of Administration Measures Noem defended the government's strategy, stating on television that residents supported the government intervention. "They understand that where we have gone we have made it much more free," she said. "People are much safer, we have removed numerous offenders that are no longer roaming of Chicago, just because our presence is established." State Leader Governor Pritzker Replies Appearing on a CNN program Sunday, the Democratic Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, claimed the administration of escalating the crisis instead of resolving it. "It is they who are turning it into a battlefield," he said. "They need to get out of Chicago. If they’re not going to focus on the most dangerous criminals, as the president said they are going to do, they should depart immediately." Border Patrol Incident Details Federal officers on Saturday fired at and wounded a female while firing at an individual who attempted to hit them. The woman who was shot was a American and was carrying a semi-automatic weapon, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, noting that the woman was accused in a US Customs and Border Protection alert last week of revealing agents' private information. The Governor's Criticism on Social Media The governor also denounced the action in a message on X on Saturday, stating: "The federal security agency gave me an ultimatum: mobilize your forces, or we will." He labeled the decision "completely unacceptable and against American values," and noted that it had been made "without our consent".