 "Protesters, police, and National Guard troops congregate at the entrance to Union Station in Washington. AP")
Chicago’s mayor has signed an order to prevent a federal immigration immigration operation in the city, expected to be launched in the city as soon as this week.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said that an upcoming Trump crackdown in the state, similar to Washington DC’s case, would be an “invasion” and informed that he had not received any communication from the administration about the deployment of National Guard troops in the city.
“No one in the administration – the president or anybody under him – has called anyone in my administration, or me. So, it’s clear that in secret they’re planning this – well, it’s an invasion with US troops, if they in fact do that,” Pritzker said over the weekend.
According to CNN, the operation is set to begin in Chicago by Friday. It could involve agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with the potential support of National Guard forces in a peacekeeping role.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS, “We’ve already had ongoing operations with ICE in Chicago and throughout Illinois and other states, making sure that we’re upholding our laws, but we do intend to add more resources to those operations.”
What has the city planned?
Chicago has been preparing to resist Trump’s planned immigration crackdown, with Mayor Brandon Johnson signing an executive order on Saturday that provides guidance and directives to city agencies and law enforcement “in the midst of escalating threats from the federal government.”
The mayor’s office has asserted that the Chicago police will not “collaborate with federal agents on joint law enforcement patrols, arrest operations, or other law enforcement duties, including civil immigration enforcement.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsBefore signing the order, Johnson said, “We may see militarised immigration enforcement. We may also see National Guard troops. We may even see active duty military and armed vehicles in our streets. We have not called for this. Our people have not asked for this, but nevertheless, we find ourselves having to respond to this.”
‘We’re coming’
Trump lashed out against Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in a social media posting Saturday, warning him that he must straighten out Chicago’s crime problems quickly “or we’re coming.” The Republican president has also been critical of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Johnson and Pritzker have pushed back against the expected federal mobilisation, saying crime has fallen in Chicago. They are planning to sue if Trump moves forward with the plan.
Chicago is home to a large immigrant population, and both the city and the state of Illinois have some of the country’s strongest rules against cooperating with federal government immigration enforcement efforts. That has often put the city and the state at odds with Trump’s administration as it tries to carry out his mass deportation agenda.
With inputs from agencies