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Pritzker On Federal Agents For Chicago: 'Will Not Stand For Efforts That Undermine Civil Rights'

CHICAGO (CBS) -- With continued talk of unnamed federal agents coming into Chicago, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker reiterated his point that activities in Portland where federal authorities used tear gas for the seventh night in a row as well as flash bangs and other crowd-control munitions against protesters downtown won't be tolerated in Chicago or Illinois.

"I will not stand for efforts that undermine civil rights and civil liberties, like what's happening in Portland, conducted anonymously under the cover of darkness and with no transparency, any effort from the federal government to undermine the basic freedoms," Pritzker said.

The governor said he has tried to reach the Department of Homeland Security but said that effort didn't succeed.

"The acting director Acting Secretary of Homeland Security (Chad Wolf) did not return my phone call and said that he would not over the next 48 hours. So that's what happened in that call," Pritzker said. "Yesterday I have worked tirelessly over the last few days, speaking with not only the mayor but the Attorney General to coordinate activities that we might engage in, if we need to push back on some force of the federal protective services that might arrive the kinds of forces that are on the ground in Portland."

Pritzker admitted that there are other federal law enforcement agencies assisting with local efforts.

"We know that the ATF, the FBI, the DEA are coming to and are in Chicago, engaged in activities to help our local law enforcement. I encourage that we need to get violence and criminal enterprises shut down," Pritzker said.

 

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