The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, has stated that his office has not received any communication from the federal government regarding potential plans to send agents from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, and National Guard troops to the Chicago area. This statement follows a report from the Chicago Sun-Times suggesting such a move by the Trump administration may be in consideration.
“The journalists have done an excellent job reporting,” Pritzker commented. “I must emphasize that we have had no communication from the White House or any federal entity that may be responsible for any troop movements.”
Other elected Illinois officials took to Federal Plaza in Chicago to echo Pritzker’s sentiments and condemn a possible deployment.
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez remarked, “Trump aims to intimidate us into compliance, but we are not going to let him achieve that.”
The information in the Sun-Times comes from emails sent by a U.S. Navy captain to his team, indicating that agents from the DHS, ICE, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection might be based at Naval Station Great Lakes, near North Chicago, from September 2-30.
The captain also mentioned the potential for supporting National Guard units, though specific details were sparse, leaving many uncertainties and questions.
A spokesperson for Naval Station Great Lakes informed WGN that the base had been contacted by the DHS about possibly supporting ICE operations. Yet, as of now, no definitive actions have been decided upon. The request is purely about providing facilities, infrastructure, and logistical support for DHS activities. Moreover, there has been no formal request to assist the National Guard at this time.
Opponents of National Guard mobilization point to statistics that show Chicago crime is trending in a positive direction, with crime declining significantly year-over-year after the city saw a drastic spike during the peak of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Supporters of bringing in the National Guard said a significant year-over-year decrease in crime is not enough, and it needs to drop even further.
“Crime going down, people still getting killed,” Dr. Willie Wilson said during a news conference Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara expects there will be notice if the National Guard is mobilized.
“I think once they make up their mind and the president says it’s a go, at that point, the federal partners will start contacting CPD, the superintendent, and the city officials and let them know this is what’s going on. This is what we’re doing and this is what we’re tasked with, and you are either working with us or you’re not,” Catanzara said. “I guess we will see how that plays out.”
The FOP president told WGN the National Guard’s presence is needed, even if they do not have arresting powers like everyday officers with the Chicago Police Department.
“It would be nice to have some extra bodies,” Catanzara said. “We are well over 1,000 people short in this department, and some extra bodies especially for that crazy week of Mexican Independence Day [are] greatly appreciated.”
Sources told WGN that Mayor Brandon Johnson was expected to brief the Chicago City Council on Thursday on plans in the event the National Guard is deployed.
