United States President Donald Trump has authorised the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, despite firm opposition from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
The move comes amid growing tensions following a clash between ICE personnel and protesters, in which a woman was shot by border patrol agents.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson confirmed the order on Saturday, saying Trump would not ignore “the lawlessness plaguing American cities.”
“President Trump has authorised 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets,” Jackson said.
The order follows weeks of threats by Trump to send troops to Chicago, citing unrest and attacks on federal property.
Illinois governor calls move “un-American”
Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, sharply criticised the president’s action, describing it as “absolutely outrageous and un-American.”
“This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker said. “It is unacceptable to demand a governor deploy military forces within state borders against our will.”
While Pritzker did not confirm where or when the troops would be stationed, he said the state’s National Guard members were being pulled from their families “for a manufactured performance.”
Protests have continued in Chicago, particularly outside ICE facilities, where demonstrators accused federal agents of using excessive force, including pepper spray and rubber bullets.
Homeland security sends “Special Operations” to Chicago
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced additional “special operations” would be dispatched to Chicago’s Brighton Park area to control the situation.
Federal officials said 13 protesters were arrested on Friday during demonstrations near ICE’s Broadview facility. Many protesters have likened the crackdown to what they called “heavy-handed policing” in other Democratic-led cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Portland.
In a separate development, a federal judge in Oregon has temporarily blocked Trump’s administration from deploying the National Guard in Portland, ruling in favour of the state and city authorities.
US District Judge Karin Immergut issued the injunction Saturday after Trump claimed he would send troops to Portland, calling it “war-ravaged.”
Local officials argued that Trump’s narrative relied on outdated 2020 footage from the George Floyd protests, not recent unrest.
The Department of Defense had earlier planned to place 200 Oregon National Guard members under federal control for 60 days to protect federal property, but the ruling has halted that move.
Trump has previously deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, DC, while California Governor Gavin Newsom sued to block similar actions in his state — and temporarily succeeded.
The president’s latest order underscores a deepening clash between federal authority and Democratic state governments over law enforcement powers and civil rights protections.
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