Trump Deploys National Guard Troops to Chicago Amid Rising Tensions

Fri Oct 10 2025 16:27:23 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In an effort to combat perceived rising crime rates, President Trump has authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago. Local leaders and state officials criticize the move as an abuse of power.

President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, citing increasing crime rates as a justification. The announcement followed a violent incident involving immigration authorities and protesters. Critics, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, have condemned the deployment, framing it as a politically motivated maneuver and an abuse of presidential power. This decision comes amidst legal challenges regarding Trump's use of military forces in domestic unrest scenarios.

President Donald Trump has authorised the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago to address what he describes as an out-of-control crime situation.

This directive came shortly after a confrontation between immigration authorities and protesters in the city, which resulted in an armed woman being shot while she and others allegedly collided their vehicles with law enforcement units.

Local and state leaders have expressed strong opposition to Trump's deployment plans, with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accusing him of trying to 'manufacture a crisis'.

Adding to the tense atmosphere, a federal judge in Portland, Oregon temporarily blocked the deployment of 200 troops there, deeming Trump's characterizations of the situation 'untethered to the facts' and asserting that such military moves lacked constitutional grounding.

Judge Karin Immergut ruled that deploying military personnel to control unrest without state consent threatens the autonomy of the state and blurs the lines between civil and military federal authority. A similar legal challenge may arise concerning Chicago's troop deployment, although it is currently unclear whether any troops have been mobilised yet.

Chicago is the latest Democrat-led city to be targeted for troop deployment as the presidential administration escalates its use of National Guard forces amidst increasing protests, particularly concerning immigration enforcement actions taking place in the city.

According to White House spokespeople, Trump is responding to what they describe as 'ongoing violent riots and lawlessness' which local leaders have allegedly failed to address. The situation escalated just before the troop authorization, when a woman was shot during the confrontation with US Border Patrol personnel.

Trump’s actions are part of a broader strategy that includes deploying troops to other cities such as Washington, Los Angeles, and Memphis, each grappling with significant civil unrest. Chicago has seen a surge in protests against immigration enforcement practices, indicating deeper social divides over the issue.