WASHINGTON – The Trump administration intends to deploy officers to Chicago for an immigration crackdown, marking another effort to increase federal law enforcement in major cities led by Democrats, according to two U.S. officials.
This operation, targeting the nation’s third-largest city, is planned to last around a month and might commence as soon as September 5th, a Department of Homeland Security official informed The Associated Press on Friday. Another official mentioned the timing for this potential long-term immigration enforcement plan, similar to the summer efforts in Los Angeles, is still awaiting final approval.
Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not been made public.
Chicago, which hosts a considerable immigrant population, along with the state of Illinois, has some of the strongest prohibitions against federal collaboration on immigration enforcement. This has often led to conflicts with the Trump administration’s push for widespread deportations.
The Trump administration asked the military this week for use of the Naval Station Great Lakes, north of Chicago, to support immigration enforcement.
The operation in Chicago would involve U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and other federal agencies, according to the officials speaking to The Associated Press. Differing from recent federal actions in Washington, this initiative is not anticipated to rely on the National Guard or military forces, and it is strictly focused on immigration rather than being part of a larger crime reduction campaign.
The Republican administration may encounter opposition from the area’s leading Democratic figures, similarly to resistance faced in California from Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, akin to Newsom, has frequently clashed with Trump. Pritzker recently stated that Chicago does not desire military intervention for crime control.
The Department of Homeland Security recently announced making 5,000 immigration arrests in the Los Angeles area since beginning a continuous crackdown on June 6th in the country’s second-largest metropolitan zone. An ongoing court order barring racial profiling in Los Angeles has not deterred the authorities, with the administration appealing to the Supreme Court against this order.
“Make no mistake: If you are here illegally, we will find you, arrest you and send you back. This is just the beginning,” Secretary Kristi Noem said when announcing the arrest milestone in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles operation has been marked by large, lightning-quick shows of force by heavily armed, masked agents in unmarked cars and civilian dress, often at Home Depots and car washes. The Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles said this week that 15% of Mexican citizens arrested so far work in construction followed by car washes at 13%, based on hundreds of interviews it has conducted.
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Spagat reported from San Diego.
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