The Pentagon is reportedly developing plans to deploy U.S. military forces to Chicago, following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a crackdown on crime, homelessness, and undocumented immigration, according to a Saturday report by The Washington Post.
The Defense Department has been considering the move for several weeks, with options that include activating several thousand National Guard troops as early as September, the report said, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
Here’s why Trump eyes Chicago
“Chicago is a mess,” Trump, a Republican, told reporters on Friday, deriding its mayor as he continued his attacks on cities run by Democratic politicians. “And we’ll straighten that one out probably next.”
Also Read: India-China-Russia: How Trump’s tariffs could give birth to a $54 trillion global powerhouse
The Pentagon said in a statement late on Saturday: “We won’t speculate on further operations. The department is a planning organisation and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, stated that the federal government had not contacted the state regarding any potential need for assistance. He noted that no emergency situation in Illinois would justify deploying the National Guard or other military forces.
“Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicise Americans who serve in uniform and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families,” Pritzker said.
Also Read: Pentagon plans to deploy military in Chicago after Washington DC amid Trump’s crackdown, New York may be next: Report
On Friday, Johnson said the city had grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops, Reuters reported.
“The problem with the President’s approach is that it is uncoordinated, uncalled for and unsound,” the mayor said, adding that over the past year, homicides in Chicago have fallen by more than 30%, robberies by 35% and shootings by almost 40%.
What happened in LA and Washington?
At Trump’s request last weekend, the Republican governors of three states said they were sending hundreds of National Guard troops hundreds of miles to Washington, D.C.
The president has portrayed the nation’s capital as a city awash in crime, although Justice Department data shows violent crime hit a 30-year low last year in Washington, a self-governing federal district under the jurisdiction of Congress.
Also Read: US military deploying forces to southern Caribbean against drug groups
While the federal government holds considerable authority in Washington, D.C., the Home Rule Act of 1973 grants the city the power to elect its own mayor and council, though Congress retains the ability to review local legislation. It remains uncertain how Trump could bypass this law without congressional approval.
In June, Trump ordered 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, against the wishes of California’s Democratic governor, during protests over mass immigration raids by federal officials.
(With inputs from Reuters)
