Trump and the governor of Illinois continue to debate the upcoming fish

The attack fish has become an unlikely place between President Donald Trump and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, putting them in the latest political battle.

Asian animals were brought to the United States 50 years ago to control algae growth in ponds and wastewater treatment plants, but they escaped into the Mississippi River and have been spreading ever since. With aquatic pests threatening to enter the Great Lakes, the Army Corps of Engineers has created a $1.15 billion barrier to prevent carp from escaping by installing a series of containment technologies – including an electric barrier, an explosive barrier, a barrier screen, and a special lock that can drain into the Chicago River – Plabuine.

Last week, the Trump administration announced plans to put Michigan officials in charge of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, the Chicago River. In a text written on Thursday on X, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle said the agency “is aggressively moving the project and removing the administration from Illinois.” The Army Corps added in a release the news that it will move management of the project to its Detroit office.

“President Trump has been a champion of keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes,” Telle wrote. “Partners in the Great Lakes States will not allow one country to have undue power and use it to play more games.” Telle also accused Illinois of being an “unreliable partner, reneging on its payments and promises.”

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Governor JB Pritzker He responded to a post on social mediasaying “Illinois has delivered on our promises. Trump needs to stop the political turmoil and start getting the money out, restarting the jobs, and protecting the Great Lakes.” He warned that Illinois was ready to take the matter to court, adding that “Illinois has the land on which the Brandon Road Project will be built – Trump can’t just think about giving it away.”

Illinois, Michigan, and the Army Corps signed an agreement to carry out the project on July 1, 2024. As part of the agreement, Illinois provided $50 million, which has been used for planning and initial construction. The government also acquired 50 acres of riverside land and 2.75 acres near the river for the project, at the request of the Army Corps. Some of these sites may be affected by coal ash disposalwhich the government will also have to pay to repair, according to the agreement.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has worked with Illinois and the state to move the Brandon Road project “forward quickly,” said her press secretary, Stacey LaRouche. “Governor Whitmer will continue to work to get this work done to protect our oceans and economic growth for generations to come,” added LaRouche.

Predatory fish, especially silver carp and bighead carp, can eat and compete with native fish and have already changed the Illinois River and parts of the Mississippi River. Experts, industry leaders, and local officials are concerned that if carp make it through the Chicago shipping channel, the fish could have a major impact on the area’s fishing and recreational industries.

The big-ticket project has had a rough road. Last February, Pritzker put the project on hold, citing concerns that the Trump administration would not be able to meet its financial commitments after hiding funding promised to Illinois under bipartisan legislation.

In late spring, President Trump signed a memo announcing his support for keeping carp out of Lake Michigan. Soon after, the Army Corps confirmed that it had been secured about $100 million for the first phase of constructionwhich ended last July.

Then, in December, the Trump administration reviewed the project, putting it on hold. And last month, Trump wrote on social media that he was working with Whitmer to “save the Great Lakes,” concluding that “only Trump can do it.”

Grist and WBEZ reached out to the Army Corps of Engineers, asking if the move from Illinois to Michigan means funding for the project has not been halted and if construction will resume. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.