(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A day after Mayor Lightfoot fired off a letter to President Trump — telling him not to send federal agents to Chicago — the mayor says it’s her understanding that the type of “unnamed federal special secret agents” seen in Portland, Oregon will not be coming here.
Meantime, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said he welcomes federal “resources” and doubted that militarized forces will not materialize here.
Lightfoot, who has questioned Trump's motives, said she hopes not.
“As I understand it, what we will be getting are some additional resources in the FBI, DEA and the ATF,” she said Tuesday. “And unlike what happened in Portand, what we will receive is resources that are going to plug in to the few existing federal agencies that we work with on a regular basis to help manage and suppress violent crime in our city.”
Chicago’s U.S. Attorney, John Lausch, will be helping to manage the additional resources, she said.
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In contrast, the U.S. Attorney was ignored in Portland, the mayor said, and camouflaged, unidentified agents were part of a crackdown she called “unconstitutional and undemocratic.”
"We welcome actual partnership," Lightfoot said, "but we do not welcome dictatorship."
She warned that Chicago will push back at the first sign of feds stepping over the line.
"We will not hesitate to use every tool at our disposal.”
Brown, her police superintendent, said he welcomes assistance from the U.S. government.
“We have a significant violent crime issue here,” he said. “We are already working with our federal partners, U.S. attorney, the local FBI, the local DEA, and additional resources will allow us to hold our criminals accountable for their behavior.”
He insisted it won’t be like Portland, which has become a flashpoint of controversy. Critics say the Trump Administration has used that city as a test to effectively send in troops to quell social unrest.
Trump has criticized cities like Chicago for its high crime levels but also for harboring protesters that he calls anarchists.