Christal Hayes
President Donald Trump has sanctioned the deployment of 300 National Guard personnel to Chicago to tackle what he describes as rampant crime.
This action followed shortly after immigration officials reported confronting demonstrators in the Democrat-led city, where an armed woman was shot when she and others drove their vehicles into law enforcement cars.
State and municipal leaders have decried Trump’s deployment plans for weeks, labeling it a misuse of authority. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker remarked that Trump was “trying to fabricate a crisis”.
The declaration came as a federal judge in Portland, Oregon – another progressive city – temporarily barred the Trump administration from sending 200 troops there.
Judge Karin Immergut characterized Trump’s remarks regarding conditions in Portland as “disconnected from reality,” asserting that the decision contravened the Constitution.
She stated that using military forces to suppress unrest without consent from the state of Oregon jeopardized the sovereignty of that state and others, adding that it also heightened tensions in the city and incited further protests.
Immergut determined that the administration’s rationale for the deployment “threatens to obscure the distinction between civil and military federal authority – to the detriment of this nation”.
While it remains uncertain if troops have arrived in Chicago, any such deployment would probably encounter legal hurdles.
Getty ImagesThe city is the most recent – many governed by Democrats – to be singled out for a contentious deployment of troops, joining Washington, Los Angeles, Memphis, and Portland.
These deployments have raised both legal and constitutional issues, as National Guard units are usually called upon by a state’s governor and long-standing statutes restrict the government’s military use for domestic affairs.
Chicago has witnessed a rise in demonstrations related to immigration enforcement, many occurring outside US Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices.
“In the midst of ongoing violent riots and disorder, that local leaders like [Gov] Pritzker have declined to intervene to mitigate, President Trump has ordered 300 National Guardsmen to safeguard federal officers and properties,” stated White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson. “President Trump will not ignore the lawlessness affecting American cities.”
On Saturday – just prior to Trump authorizing troops there – US Border Patrol agents shot a woman in Chicago after a group of individuals collided their vehicles with immigration enforcement cars, as indicated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a statement. The woman was armed, the statement noted.
The extent of the woman’s injuries was uncertain. DHS reported she self-transported to a nearby hospital.
Earlier this week, the president discussed his ongoing military deployments to US urban areas while addressing senior military officials.
He informed military leaders he envisions American cities as “training grounds” for US forces to engage the “internal enemy” and suppress unrest.
“They’re extremely dangerous areas and we’re going to rectify them one at a time,” he commented about Democratic-led cities, including Chicago. He mentioned to the military leaders that it would be “a significant role for some of the individuals in this room”.
Trump has been threatening to send troops to Chicago for nearly a month – pointing to crime and shootings in the city.
Violent crime in Chicago has notably decreased over the past two years. Between January and June, the homicide rate dropped by a third compared to the same timeframe last year, as reported by the Council on Criminal Justice.
However, the overall crime rates in Chicago remain significantly above the average for many US cities. At least 58 individuals were shot – eight fatally – during the Labor Day holiday weekend last month.
