Trump Sends 300 National Guard Troops to Chicago Amid Rising Tension

President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago in response to escalating violence and civil unrest. The move aims to support local law enforcement and restore order amid rising tensions in the city. The troops are expected to assist with security operations and provide logistical support, marking a significant federal intervention in Chicago’s public safety efforts. Local officials have issued mixed reactions to the decision.

President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, citing what he described as “out-of-control crime” in the city. The decision came just hours after immigration authorities clashed with protesters, shooting an armed woman after she and others allegedly rammed vehicles into law enforcement cars.

The move immediately drew criticism from state and local leaders. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accused Trump of “attempting to manufacture a crisis,” calling the deployment an abuse of power. Chicago is the latest in a series of predominantly Democratic-led cities targeted for controversial federal interventions, following deployments in Washington, Los Angeles, Memphis, and Portland.

The announcement coincided with a legal setback for the administration in Oregon. A federal judge in Portland temporarily blocked Trump’s plan to deploy 200 troops there. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut criticized the administration’s justification for the move as “untethered to the facts” and ruled that deploying federal forces without state consent violated constitutional principles. She warned that such actions blur the line between civil and military authority and risk undermining state sovereignty.

While it remains unclear whether National Guard troops have arrived in Chicago, any deployment is expected to face legal challenges. By law, National Guard forces are typically activated by state governors, and longstanding statutes limit the federal government’s use of military personnel for domestic law enforcement.

The White House defended the decision, citing unrest near immigration enforcement facilities. “Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness that local leaders like [Gov] Pritzker have refused to quell, President Trump has authorized 300 National Guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.”

The escalation follows a violent incident on Saturday when U.S. Border Patrol personnel opened fire on a woman in Chicago after protesters rammed vehicles into immigration enforcement cars, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The woman, who was armed, drove herself to a hospital; her condition remains unknown.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to send troops to Chicago over the past month, framing the city as emblematic of urban crime in Democratic strongholds. Earlier in the week, he told top military officials he wants American cities to serve as “training grounds” for troops to “combat the enemy from within” and restore order. “They’re very unsafe places and we’re going to straighten them out one by one,” Trump said.

Despite Trump’s rhetoric, data shows violent crime in Chicago has declined significantly in recent years. Homicides between January and June were down by a third compared to the same period last year, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. However, the city’s overall violence remains high relative to national averages. Over the Labor Day weekend last month, at least 58 people were shot, eight fatally.

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Source: BBC

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