Texas National Guard troops have arrived in the Chicago area, escalating the Trump administration's crackdown on the city. The deployment follows a ruling by US District Judge April Perry, who declined to immediately block the troops from entering while a lawsuit from Illinois and Chicago is pending.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the lawsuit on Monday seeking to stop the federal government from enlisting the state's National Guard or sending troops from other states. Despite the legal challenge, the troops were mobilised on Monday and remained in the Chicago area on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order 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. "We cannot allow them to rampage throughout our city with no checks or balances."
The White House accused the mayor of aiding criminal illegal immigrants, while Illinois officials condemned the deployment. Governor JB Pritzker said troops do not belong on the streets of American cities unless there is an insurrection or emergency. Senator Dick Durbin described the move as "unnecessary" and "unlawful", adding that National Guard personnel should not be used as political pawns.
The deployment is part of a broader pattern, with similar actions in Los Angeles in June and Washington DC in August. A federal judge blocked a proposed deployment to Portland, Oregon, on Sunday. Trump has said the measures are needed for immigration enforcement, though Democratic leaders note that crime levels are generally falling.
