Sunday, 7 September 2025 | Web Desk

President Donald Trump has once again hinted at sending National Guards to Chicago as part of a wider immigration and crime crackdown — a move like that of the recent deployment to Los Angeles.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared an image with the caption: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning … Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The AI-generated image parodied the war film Apocalypse Now, fueling speculation about upcoming federal actions in the Democrat-led cities.

Trump has been frequently criticizing cities like Chicago for what their weak law enforcement and lax immigration policies. His administration has already tightened immigration enforcement in the city and has hinted at deploying the National Guard to combat rising crime, as he did in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

However, these moves are facing growing legal and political reaction. This week, a federal judge in California ruled that the Trump administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 when it used military forces for domestic law enforcement purposes in Los Angeles. The Act restricts the use of federal troops in civilian policing. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer’s decision was a major blow to Trump’s aggressive enforcement strategy.

Despite limited details about the possible Chicago operation, local and state officials are already gathering against it. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the president’s statements as dangerous and unconstitutional.

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Pritzker posted on X: “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal… Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”

Mayor Johnson wrote: “Trump’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation. He wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution. We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism.”

According to an internal government memo obtained by CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested the use of Naval Station Great Lakes, located about 50 miles north of Chicago, to board around 250 federal agents and 140 vehicles. DHS began moving personnel and equipment to the base earlier this week, indicating that operations may last for at least 30 days.

In a statement, DHS said it will target cities including Chicago and Boston: “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, nowhere is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never come back.”

In response, community groups, churches, and schools in Chicago have begun organizing to prepare for the expected raids. A Mexican Independence Day festival scheduled for later this month was postponed due to safety concerns, with organizers yet to announce a new date.

While Trump has not specified whether National Guard troops or federal law enforcement agents will be deployed, he confirmed in a recent Oval Office appearance: “We’re going in. I didn’t say when — we’re going in.”

The controversy over Trump’s proposed crackdown underscores the growing political divide over immigration and law enforcement, as well as the legal limits of presidential powers in deploying the military on U.S. soil.