The Pentagon is reportedly preparing plans for a potential military deployment to Chicago as US president Donald Trump intensifies efforts to address crime, homelessness, and undocumented immigration in major cities. The operation could involve thousands of National Guard members and follows a model used in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, prompting strong reactions from local leaders.Trump on Friday sharply criticised Chicago’s officials. “Chicago’s a mess. You have an incompetent mayor. Grossly incompetent,” he said, as quoted by The Washington Post. “And we’ll straighten that one out probably next. That’ll be our next one after this. And it won’t even be tough.”He added that some of his supporters in Chicago have been “screaming for us to come,” signaling the city as the next target in his broader law-and-order push.Officials familiar with the planning said the operation involves several options, such as deploying at least a few thousand National Guard members as soon as September. While the use of thousands of active-duty troops has been discussed, it is considered less likely at this stage. The deployment would resemble Trump’s June operation in Los Angeles, when he sent 4,000 California National Guard members and 700 Marines despite protests from state and local leaders.Officials also said a military intervention in Chicago could be coordinated with expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations targeting undocumented migrants. The administration is seeking to intensify deportations, challenge “sanctuary” policies, and meet a directive to make at least 3,000 arrests per day.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said city officials have not received formal communication from the administration. “We have grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops to the City of Chicago. The problem with the President’s approach is that it is uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound,” he said.Illinois Gov JB Pritzker also criticised Trump, accusing him of trying to “create chaos.” Pritzker would not support deploying the National Guard under Title 32, the law detailing how governors can deploy troops. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he has cooperated with federal authorities for years.
Trump’s broader strategy
Trump has long described major cities as lawless and Democratic-run, frequently highlighting Chicago. “You look at Chicago, how bad it is. You look at Los Angeles, how bad it is,” he said. “We have other cities that are very bad. New York has a problem. And then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland. We don’t even mention that anymore. They’re so, so far gone. We’re not going to let it happen.”Chicago, a city of about 2.7 million people, has recorded the most homicides in the U.S. each year for the past 13 years, with 573 in 2024. While homicides spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, rates have since declined. Several other cities, including St Louis, Detroit, Baltimore, and DC., had higher homicide rates than Chicago last year.
What it means
If approved, the deployment would expand Trump’s use of military force domestically, following operations in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. It could involve National Guard members, and possibly active-duty troops, working alongside federal immigration officials. Governors generally control the National Guard under state law, but the president can federalize troops under Title 10 or invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty forces for law enforcement, though both actions are politically sensitive.Local leaders warn that such deployments could disrupt existing public safety efforts. Trump’s push signals a broader strategy to federalise law-and-order operations in Democratic-led cities while challenging local authority, with potential legal and political consequences for both the administration and affected states.
