Chicago Mayor Declares Mass Incarceration “Racist, Immoral, and Unholy,” Urges Alternatives to Jail for Crime
In a fiery press conference on Monday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker forcefully condemned President Trump’s threat to send National Guard troops into the city, responding to ongoing concerns about crime with an impassioned defense of local autonomy and criminal justice reform.
“We Cannot Incarcerate Our Way Out of Violence”
Mayor Johnson, known for his progressive stance on criminal justice, made headlines with his blunt rejection of mass incarceration as a solution to urban violence. “We cannot incarcerate our way out of violence; we’ve already tried that, and we’ve ended up with the largest prison population in the world without solving the problems of crime and violence,” Johnson said. “The addiction on jails and incarceration in this country, we’ve moved past that. It is racist, it is immoral, it is unholy, and it is not the way to drive violence down.”
Johnson’s remarks highlight a growing divide in American politics over how to address crime, with progressive leaders arguing for investment in social programs, mental health, and community resources rather than aggressive policing and incarceration.
Pritzker: Trump Is a “Wannabe Dictator”
Governor Pritzker joined Johnson in denouncing the president’s threat, calling Trump a “wannabe dictator” and warning that the deployment of National Guard troops would turn neighborhoods into “warzones.” “This is exactly the type of overreach that our country’s founders warned against,” Pritzker said. “What Trump is doing is unprecedented and unwarranted. It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. It is un-American.”
Pritzker emphasized that neither the city nor the state had requested federal intervention. “We have made no requests for federal intervention. None. We found out what Trump was planning the same way all of you did. We read a story in the Washington Post,” he said.
The Crime Debate: Numbers and Narratives
While Chicago’s crime rates have improved year-to-date, violence remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, aggravated assaults are up 16%, carjackings have soared 60%, and gun assaults are 46% higher than in 2019. Homicides, though down from last year, remain high at 21.7 per 100,000 residents—far above Los Angeles (7.1) and New York City (4.7).
Trump has repeatedly called Chicago a “killing field,” using the city’s crime statistics to justify potential federal intervention. “A lot of people are saying, ‘Maybe we’d like a dictator.’ I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator,” Trump said, while remaining vague about specific plans. “In a certain way, you really want to be asked to go. I hate to barge in on a city and then be treated horribly by corrupt politicians and bad politicians, like a guy like [Illinois Gov. JB] Pritzker, he has to spend more time in the gym,” he added.
Federal Troop Deployments: Precedent and Limits
Deploying National Guard troops to cities without local permission is legally fraught and typically limited to protecting federal buildings and personnel. Previous deployments in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, saw troops stationed at federal sites and accompanying ICE agents on raids, but not engaging in routine law enforcement.
The White House has not confirmed reports of imminent troop deployments to Chicago, but the mere possibility has reignited debate over federal versus local authority and the best path forward for cities struggling with crime.
Conclusion: A City at a Crossroads
Chicago’s leaders are adamant: the city’s challenges cannot be solved by returning to mass incarceration or by federal intervention imposed from above. Mayor Johnson’s condemnation of jail-based solutions as “racist, immoral, and unholy” signals a commitment to criminal justice reform, even as critics argue for tougher measures.
Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson insist Chicago must chart its own course, focusing on root causes of violence rather than repeating failed policies of the past. As the debate continues, Chicago remains emblematic of the national struggle to balance safety, justice, and local control in turbulent times.
