An elite tactical unit from Immigration and Customs Enforcement is set to deploy to Chicago soon, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday.
Noem, speaking after a lengthy Trump administration Cabinet meeting at the White House, responded to questions about whether Chicago is the next city to receive federal forces as initiated by President Donald Trump.
“We’re going to have a strike team in Chicago soon,” Noem told when asked about plans for the nation’s third-largest city.
Noem’s statements were made amid discussions about Chicago, a frequent topic for Trump. On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his willingness to send the National Guard to Chicago if invited by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
At the meeting, Trump renewed his criticism of Pritzker and other officials in Democratic-led cities, accusing them of being “against crime prevention.” Despite city claims that violent crime has decreased by over 30%, Trump, who owns a high-rise hotel sporting his name along the Chicago River, expressed his “embarrassment” over crime statistics.
“If I were a Democrat governor or mayor, I’d reach out to President Trump for help,” Trump stated. “We are prepared to assist Chicago, but I’m waiting for them to request it.”
At a Monday news conference in Chicago, both Pritzker and Johnson made it clear they have not and will not request National Guard troops for the city.
However, in her comments to , Noem was referring to ICE “strike teams,” which are specialized units within the federal agency. In June, Chicago was among five cities run by Democratic leaders that were said to be considered for elite special response teams known as SRTs to be deployed, previously reported.
Other cities included Seattle, Philadelphia, New York and the northern Virginia region, which included Washington, DC.
Reports of the tactical units being sent to the Democratic-led cities arose after anti-ICE rallies in Los Angeles became a “tipping point” for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS officials said that they would “not be deterred” by the rallies, which included thousands of No Kings rallies that took place across the nation.
NBC News reported at the time that several SRT units were being prepared for deployment, but that no timeline had been set. Eight SRTs are deployed by ICE that are “trained to serve high-risk warrants under hazardous conditions, escort dangerous criminal aliens who have been ordered deported and assist local law enforcement agencies during critical incidents,” according to ICE.
The tactical units use BearCat tracked vehicles, long guns and tactical vests, typically in operations considered high risk. The elite special response teams are part of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, which is charged with “upholding America’s immigration laws and within and beyond our borders through efficient enforcement and removal operations,” ICE said.
Before Noem told about the plans for ICE to deploy a strike team, she was asked what cities could be considered for National Guard troops, which Trump said have cut down dramatically on crime in Washington over the past 12 days since being deployed.
Asked if she would specify which states could be in play, Noem said, “I’ll leave that to the president.”
