Trump vows to bring back cash bail in Chicago
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President Trump announced plans to use Congress to revive the cash bail system in Chicago during a Monday press conference focused on crime in Washington, D.C.
Why it matters: The elimination of cash bail in Illinois has been followed by a drop in crime and jail populations, according to recent data.
Catch up quick: The Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act, passed in 2021 as a provision of the state's SAFE-T Act, went into effect in September 2023.
- It eliminates the practice of allowing a defendant to pay money/bail to leave jail while awaiting trial.
- Instead, a judge determines who stays in jail based on factors like the seriousness of the crime and the defendant's likelihood of fleeing.
What they're saying: "The radical-left City Council adopted no cash bail," Trump said Monday, even though the law did not involve the City Council.
- "By the way, every place in the country you have no cash bail is a disaster," Trump continued. "Somebody murders somebody and they're out on no cash bail before the day is out."
Reality check: Chicago crime has fallen by 15% since August 2023, the month before the law was implemented, according to recent police data.
- Murder is down 37%, robbery is down 36%, and motor vehicle theft is down 44% compared with early August 2023.
The other side: "I think it's clear from the president's comments that he doesn't really understand the law itself or the impact it's having in Illinois," Ben Ruddell, director of criminal justice policy at the ACLU of Illinois, tells Axios.
- Ruddell calls the prospect of Congress changing state law a "highly unusual idea" and chalks up Trump's statement to "the bluster of a president who blusters a lot about a lot of things."
- Still, Ruddell said he wouldn't be surprised if the president tried to use lawsuits or funding to influence local policy.
Zoom out: Trump also threatened to intervene in law enforcement in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Oakland and New York.
Side dish: Trump commented on the possibility of Gov. JB Pritzker running for president in 2028, saying, "I notice he lost a little weight, so maybe he has a chance, you know?"
- Pritzker shot back on X: "Donald, thanks for the compliment! Let's not lie to the public, you and I both know you have no authority to take over Chicago. By the way, where are the Epstein files?"
What's next: Trump suggested he might send the National Guard to Chicago, as he is doing in D.C.
- "If President Trump wants to help make Chicago safer, he can start by releasing the funds for anti-violence programs," Mayor Brandon Johnson responded in a statement. "Sending in the National Guard would only serve to destabilize our city and undermine our public safety efforts."