U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to the city of Chicago, citing the need to protect federal officials and government property as demonstrations against immigration enforcement continue across several A
merican cities. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson confirmed the decision on Saturday, saying the troops were being sent “to safeguard federal personnel and facilities.” “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the anarchy plaguing American cities,” Jackson said, emphasizing the administration’s intent to maintain law and order. The move immediately sparked political backlash.
Democratic leaders from Illinois, including Governor Jay Robert Pritzker and Senator Dick Durbin, condemned the deployment, calling it “a deliberate attempt to spread fear and militarize civil unrest.” The order follows last week’s controversial deployment of National Guard forces to Portland, Oregon, where the President described the situation as that of a “war-torn city.”
Trump claimed that agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency needed protection from “domestic terrorists” such as the Antifa movement. However, Federal Judge Karin J. Immergut temporarily blocked that order, ruling that the protests did not constitute a serious threat of violence and that local law enforcement was fully capable of maintaining order.
Her injunction remains in effect until October 18. Under U.S. law, the National Guard is typically under the control of state governors, except in cases of national emergency or war, when the President may assume command. Although traditionally deployed for natural disasters or emergency relief, the Trump administration has increasingly used the force as a domestic security measure.
With deployments already in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Memphis, the new order extends the administration’s security posture nationwide. Supporters argue it is a necessary step to restore public order, while critics warn it reflects a shift toward authoritarian-style governance that risks undermining local autonomy and civil liberties.
