Trump announces new federal ‘surge’ of law enforcement to Chicago

Agents will also be sent to Albuquerque,N.M.

Chicago — President Donald Trump, who once bragged he could solve Chicago’s crime problem within a week, announced plans Wednesday to send a “surge of federal law enforcement” to the city to address ongoing violence.

Though agents also will be sent to Albuquerque, N.M., Trump singled out Chicago as the place in the most critical need of additional resources.

“Perhaps no citizens have suffered more from the menace of violent crime than the wonderful people of Chicago, a city I know very well,” Trump said.

Attorney General William Barr said more than 200 federal agents would be sent to Chicago, where they will engaged in “classic crime fighting” such as investigating murders, gangs, gun crime and drug trafficking organizations. The new agents will include members of the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA and the Department of Homeland Security, among others.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered a measured response to the announcement, expressing both cautious optimism about the additional resources and skepticism about Trump’s motives.

“If those agents are here to actually work in partnership and support of gun violence and violent cases, plugging into existing infrastructure of federal agents, not trying to play police in our streets, then that’s something different and that may add value but the proof is going to be in the pudding,” Lightfoot said. “It’s too soon to be able to say if this is a value add or not.”

Officials were quick to point out the difference between the Chicago surge and the situation in Portland, Ore., where unidentified agents are arresting protesters for allegedly vandalizing federal building and taking them away in unmarked cars. The Chicago effort will focus more on helping local police deal with the increase in neighborhood violence, they said.