The Trump administration is reportedly considering plans to station thousands of National Guard troops in Chicago, which has faced strong opposition from Chicago’s mayor and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who view this as an overextension of federal authority.
If the National Guard is mobilized in Chicago, it would mirror the military actions Trump has already implemented in Washington, D.C. to address crime and homelessness. The Defense Department announced on Sunday that National Guard troops in the capital have now been granted authorization to carry service weapons.
The Washington Post, citing two unnamed sources, has suggested that the Pentagon’s plans could involve deploying at least 3,000 National Guard members to Chicago as early as September. This information was corroborated by ABC News.
Trump has eyed Chicago for crackdown
President Trump had already hinted last week that Chicago, managed by Democrats, would be the next target in his Republican-led campaign against lawlessness.
White House Border czar Tom Homan mentioned over the weekend that Chicago is a potential site for troop deployment and discussed a separate initiative for the National Guard to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers across 19 states.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, often criticized by the Trump administration, declared that sending troops to his city would be unconstitutional. In a statement on Sunday, he emphasized, “Chicago is not requesting a military occupation of our city. We are currently assessing all of our legal options.”
Pritzker, a Democrat, said the president “is attempting to manufacture a crisis … to distract from the pain he is causing working families.”
Trump engages with Md. governor over crime
Meanwhile, Trump has been in a back-and-forth with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who urged the president to visit Baltimore and actually walk the streets before vilifying it as a crime-ridden place. Moore, a Democrat, says officials have made great progress in turning things around there.
Trump shot back on social media: “I would much prefer that he clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a ‘walk.’”
Baltimore is a candidate to receive federalized National Guard members, too, Trump said.
‘s Kevin Bohn and Andrew Fischer Espitallier contributed to this report.
