United States President Donald Trump on September 6 hinted a major immigration action in Chicago. He also shared a striking AI-generated image of himself dressed in military gear with flames in the background, inspired by the 1979 war movie poster “Apocalypse Now”.
This comes amid he cracks down on illegal immigrants across the US, pledging to launch the largest deportation drive in US history.
Trump took to his Truth Social account and said, “I love the smell of deportation in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”
The poster Trump shared was titled “Chipocalypse Now”.
Earlier this week, Trump signed an Executive Order that changed the Department of Defense’s name back to the Department of War.
ICE to ramp up operations in Chicago, says Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
Meanwhile, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told ABC News that federal immigration enforcement might increase in Chicago this weekend.
Pritzker stated that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to increase operations, with up to 300 agents set to be deployed at a press conference earlier this week.
The New York Times report mentioned that Department of Homeland Security officials are expected to arrive at Chicago’s Naval Station Great Lakes this week, with enforcement efforts likely to continue for at least 30 days throughout the broader Chicago area.
This latest action comes after Trump’s repeated criticisms of Chicago’s Democratic leaders, crime rates, and immigration policies, which he has previously called a “mess”.
Earlier this year, Trump sent federal agents and troops to Los Angeles and Washington, stating that the move was needed to address crime and enforce immigration laws, according to The New York Times.
It added that Chicago has a population of 2.7 million people, including around 150,000 undocumented immigrants, which makes up nearly 8 percent of the city’s households. The scale of the upcoming enforcement has sparked worries among migrant families, community organisations, and local officials, many of whom fear widespread detentions and deportations.
In response, hundreds of residents and immigrant advocacy groups have vowed to mobilise in downtown Chicago at the first indication of ICE raids. On Thursday night, metal barricades were set up around the federal courthouse in the Loop, indicating preparations for possible clashes between protesters and enforcement officers, The New York Times report noted.
