The Pentagon has been planning for weeks to deploy miltary troops in Chicago, as part of President Trump’s plan to crack down on crime, homelessness, and undocumented immigration, similar to his approach in Washington, D.C., the Washington Post reported on Saturday.
According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon’s plans include mobilizing at least a few thousand National Guard troops as early as September, and officials also have discussed the use of active-duty troops.
In a statement Saturday night, Gov. JB Pritzker said, “The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention.”
“The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority. There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalizing the @IL_Natl_Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders,” Pritzker wrote in a post on X. “Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he’s causing families. We’ll continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect Illinoisans.”
The governor and Mayor Brandon Johnson have said Trump unilaterally deploying the National Guard to Chicago to fight crime would be illegal.
CBS News Chicago legal analyst Irv Miller said the president does not have the authority to unilaterally send the National Guard to Illinois. Deploying the National Guard in any state is up to the governor, and Pritzker has made it clear he’s not interested.
According to the Washington Post, the Chicago mission would be similar to that in Los Angeles in June, when the Trump administration deployed 4,000 members of the National Guard and 700 active duty Marines to protect federal property and agents following a series of protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The same model could be made in other major cities.
President Trump has made it clear Chicago is his next target for sending federal troops to fight crime, and while the mayor and governor have said any such move would be illegal, one small group in Chicago welcomes the crackdown despite widespread opposition in the city.
A day after President Trump threatened to make Chicago the next stop for the National Guard, Mayor Brandon Johnson – attending a block party on the South Side – offered an optimistic portrait of the city.
“This is who Chicago really is. What’s being painted by the federal government is false. We love one another. We support one another. We put our arms around one another,” Johnson said.
The mayor and Gov. JB Pritzker have both called any effort by the president to send the National Guard to Chicago to fight crime illegal, and have noted crime is down significantly in the city over the past year.
“Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities. An unlawful deployment would be unsustainable and would threaten to undermine the historic progress we have. In the past year alone, we have reduced homicides by more than 30%, robberies by 35%, and shootings by almost 40%. We need to continue to invest in what is working,” Johnson said in a statement on Friday.
The angry responses from Johnson and Pritzker came after Mr. Trump claimed Chicago residents “are screaming for us to come.”
“They’re wearing red hats, just like this one, but they’re wearing red hats. African American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, ‘Please, President Trump, come to Chicago. Please.’ I did great with the Black vote, as you know, and they want something to happen,” he said.
A conservative group called “Chicago Flips Red” said the president was referring to them. Leaders said they have eight core members, but nationwide support, and they welcome the National Guard on Chicago streets.
“It needs to happen. It’s no law and order,” Zoe Leigh said.
“I mean, if you’ve got the National Guard right there, are you going to rob somebody right there in front of the National Guard? No, you’re not,” Danielle Carter-Walters said.
The president doesn’t have authority to send the National Guard to Illinois to fight crime. Deploying the National Guard in Illinois is up to the governor.
The ACLU of Illinois argued public safety involves more than just policing, and the National Guard is not the answer.
“National Guard are not trained in order to be police officers, in order to collaborate and cooperate with communities. They’re trained to do militaristic operations, and so the idea that that’s the substitute is really a poor one,” ACLU Illinois spokesman Ed Yohnka said.
Johnson would not answer questions about Trump’s threat on Saturday, but in his statement on Friday said his office has not received any communication from the White House about sending federal troops to Chicago.
Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) said he hasn’t heard anything specific, either, but he doesn’t want to see military vehicles patrolling city streets.
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