The Pentagon has been quietly preparing to send thousands of troops into Chicago, part of President Donald Trump’s expanding federal crackdown on crime, homelessness, and undocumented immigration. But Illinois leaders say the move is nothing less than a manufactured crisis—a bid to flex military muscle in America’s third-largest city for political gain.
A Plan Weeks in the Making
According to reporting by the Washington Post and CBS Chicago, the Pentagon has been planning for weeks to deploy several thousand National Guard troops to Chicago as soon as September. Internal discussions have even included the use of active-duty Marines, echoing a June operation in Los Angeles where 4,000 Guard members and 700 Marines were dispatched to “protect federal property” amid immigration protests.
Trump has made no secret of his intentions. After saturating Washington, D.C. with federal agents and Guard units earlier this month, he openly named Chicago as his “next target.” On Friday, he claimed Chicago residents were “screaming for us to come,” bizarrely adding that “African American ladies, beautiful ladies, wearing red hats” were begging him to send in troops.
The comment raised eyebrows even among conservatives, with critics noting the president cited no evidence beyond a small pro-Trump group calling itself Chicago Flips Red—which admits it has just eight core members.
Illinois Leaders Push Back
Gov. JB Pritzker wasted no time blasting the plan. “The State of Illinois has received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention,” he said in a statement Saturday night.
“There is no emergency that warrants the President federalizing the Illinois National Guard, deploying the Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our 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’s causing families.”
Chicago’s Democratic mayor, Brandon Johnson, was equally forceful. Speaking at a South Side block party, Johnson painted a very different portrait of the city: “This is who Chicago really is. What’s being painted by the federal government is false. We love one another. We support one another. We put our arms around one another.”
Johnson added that any attempt to impose federal troops would be not only illegal but counterproductive. “Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement,” he said. “Trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities.”
The Numbers Tell a Different Story
Both Johnson and Pritzker emphasized that Chicago’s crime statistics undermine Trump’s narrative of a city spiraling out of control. Over the past year, homicides have dropped more than 30 percent, robberies 35 percent, and shootings nearly 40 percent, according to city data.
“An unlawful deployment would threaten to undermine the historic progress we’ve made,” Johnson said.
Legal Roadblocks
CBS Chicago legal analyst Irv Miller underscored that Trump’s plan may not even be lawful. “The president does not have the authority to unilaterally send the National Guard to Illinois,” Miller explained. “Deploying the Guard in any state is up to the governor, and Pritzker has made it clear he’s not interested.”
Civil liberties groups warned that a federal push would be disastrous. “National Guard are not trained to be police officers or to collaborate with communities,” said Ed Yohnka of the ACLU of Illinois. “They’re trained for militaristic operations. To use them as a substitute for policing is a poor—and dangerous—idea.”
Trump’s Strategy
For Trump, the Chicago gambit mirrors his broader second-term agenda: portray Democratic-led cities as “lawless” and position himself as the only strongman capable of restoring order. His critics see a darker motive—an authoritarian play to normalize military force in domestic politics.
“This is not law and order. This is political theater,” Pritzker warned. “And Illinois will not be his stage.”
Still, Trump appears undeterred, insisting he “did great with the Black vote” and claiming communities in Chicago “want something to happen.” Supporters in Chicago Flips Red echo the sentiment: “If you’ve got the National Guard right there, are you going to rob somebody right in front of them? No, you’re not,” said Danielle Carter-Walters, one of the group’s members.
A City on Edge
For residents, the looming question is whether Chicago’s streets will soon be patrolled not by local police but by armed soldiers. Alderman Jason Ervin said he has heard little from federal officials but doesn’t want to see “military vehicles rolling through neighborhoods.”
At a moment when Chicago leaders tout progress in lowering crime, the prospect of federal troops feels like a step backward. To Pritzker and Johnson, it represents not only a challenge to local control but a direct threat to democracy itself.
“We will stand up for the sovereignty of our state,” Pritzker vowed. “And we will protect the people of Illinois against whatever storms of hate and fear come our way.”
