Texas National Guard troops have arrived in the Chicago area, escalating President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement crackdown on the city. The deployment follows a US district judge's decision not to immediately block the troops, despite a pending lawsuit from Illinois and Chicago officials.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the lawsuit on Monday to stop the Trump administration from enlisting the state's National Guard or sending troops from other states. However, Judge April Perry declined to issue an immediate block, allowing the troops to mobilise. Multiple outlets confirmed their presence in the Chicago area on Tuesday.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order on Monday banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from operating on city-owned properties. 'City property and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as staging grounds for these raids,' Johnson said. The White House accused the mayor of 'aiding and abetting criminal illegal immigrant killers, rapists, traffickers, and gang bangers.'
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned the deployment, stating that troops do not belong on American city streets unless there is an insurrection or emergency. Senator Dick Durbin called the move 'unnecessary and unlawful,' adding that National Guard personnel should not be used as 'political pawns.'
The Trump administration has targeted Democratic-led cities for expanded federal immigration enforcement, including previous deployments in Los Angeles and Washington DC. Democratic leaders argue that crime levels are generally falling and that the military intervention is unwarranted.
