National Guard Deployment Planned in Chicago

The Trump administration has been planning for weeks to send the National Guard to Chicago, two officials told CNN, as President Donald Trump looks to expand his anti-crime agenda and crack down on immigration in major cities across the United States. It is not yet clear how many troops would be sent to Chicago or when those deployments would start.

Trump seemed to preview those plans in the Oval Office on Friday, saying, “I think Chicago will be our next, and then we’ll help with New York.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, said Friday that the city has not heard from the White House about the deployment or any increased law enforcement presence, adding that such a move would be “uncalled for” and “unlawful.”

“There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them,” Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson told MSNBC on Sunday that the city would take legal action if Trump sent troops into the city, adding that “the people of this city are accustomed to rising up against tyranny.”

“What he is proposing at this point would be the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st century. The city of Chicago does not need a military occupation,” Johnson said. “That’s not what we need. In fact, we’ve been very clear about what we need. We need to invest in people to ensure that we can build safe and affordable communities.”

When asked for comment, the White House on Saturday referred CNN to Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office a day earlier.

A spokesperson for the Pentagon told CNN, “We won’t speculate on further operations. The Department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement Saturday that he has not heard from the federal government and that Illinois has not made requests to the federal government for help.

“The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority. There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders,” Pritzker said.

The plans align with the Trump administration’s unusual efforts to use the military for law enforcement and immigration actions within the US’ borders. The administration has tried to augment Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s capacity by pulling personnel from multiple agencies, including the US military.

However, Democratic governors and city mayors are pushing back. “Stop attacking our cities to hide your administration’s failures,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, said earlier this week in response to a letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi.