President Donald Trump has once again threatened to send troops to Chicago for a sweeping immigration and crime crackdown, similar to recent deployments in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
In a Truth Social post, Trump shared an AI-generated image parodying the film Apocalypse Now, with the caption: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning … Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”
The Trump administration has signaled it will increase immigration enforcement in Chicago and deploy National Guard troops to assist in crime reduction. In June, the Guard was sent to Los Angeles, and last month, forces were deployed in Washington, D.C., as part of Trump’s unprecedented federal law enforcement campaign.
However, a federal court this week ruled the Los Angeles deployment illegal. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer found that the administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which prohibits the use of military forces for domestic law enforcement.
Despite legal challenges, Trump confirmed at an Oval Office event Tuesday that Chicago would be next, though he did not specify when or what type of forces would be sent.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker condemned the move, writing on X: “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also rejected the plan, saying Trump’s threats are “beneath the honor of our nation” and accusing him of trying to “occupy our city and break our Constitution.”
According to an internal memo obtained by CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already requested Pentagon support to house roughly 250 federal agents and 140 vehicles at the Naval Station Great Lakes, 50 miles north of Chicago. DHS personnel and equipment began arriving at the base earlier this week, with officials saying they would need the facility for 30 days.
DHS confirmed the planned operation, stating: “We will go to wherever these criminal illegal aliens are — including Chicago, Boston, and other cities. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return.”
Community activists, schools, and churches in Chicago have begun preparing for the crackdown. Organizers postponed the city’s Mexican Independence Day festival scheduled for later this month, citing community fears over the planned immigration raids.
