Trump Plans Military Deployment in Chicago

The Pentagon is working on plans to deploy the US military to Chicago as President Donald Trump says he is cracking down on crime, homelessness and illegal immigration, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

The Defense Department planning, in the works for weeks, involves several options, including mobilizing at least a few thousand members of the National Guard as soon as September, the Post reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.

Sources said the operation would likely be in conjunction with increased efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to deport undocumented migrants.

If approved, the plan would mirror Trump's deployment of 4,000 members of the California National Guard and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles in June after anti-ICE riots broke out.

The sources claimed that the use of thousands of active-duty troops in Chicago has also been discussed, but seems unlikely.

The Pentagon said in a statement late on Saturday: “We won’t speculate on further operations. The department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel."

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his office has not received formal communication from the Trump administration about military or federal law enforcement deployments in Chicago but said 'we have grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops.'

Johnson called Trump's approach 'uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound,' arguing it 'has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement.'

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also said that he has not been contacted by the federal government and accused the president of 'manufacturing' a crisis.

'The State of Illinois at this time has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention,' Pritzker said.

'The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority. There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders.

'Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.

'We will continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect the people of Illinois.'

Trump has claimed victory in the troop deployment to Washington and on Friday, began to tease where else he might use federal help.

'When we're ready we'll go in and we'll straighten out Chicago, just like we did DC,' Trump told reporters Friday afternoon during a World Cup event.

The president indicated that the plan wasn't fully in action, as he hadn't yet reached out to Johnson. However, he did call the Democrat names in the Oval Office.

'Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor. Grossly incompetent and we'll straighten that one out probably next, that will be our next one after this and it won't even be tough,' Trump said.