Federal Immigration Operations to Expand in Chicago Amidst political Clash
CHICAGO, IL – The Federal Management, through the Department of National security, plans to increase immigration operations in Chicago, confirmed Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday. This expansion will involve adding resources to existing operations conducted in collaboration with ICE, though specific details regarding the number of additional federal officers remain undisclosed.
The declaration follows a request for limited logistical support from the Great Lakes Naval Station,located approximately 35 miles north of Chicago,to aid in the agency’s initial operations. This move mirrors the Trump administration’s recent deployment of National Guard elements to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles to address crime, immigration, and homelessness.
President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, warning Pritzker to “quickly solve the crime problems of Chicago or we will intervene” in a social media post on Saturday.
Both johnson and Pritzker have rejected federal intervention, asserting that crime rates in Chicago have decreased. They are preparing to challenge any attempt by the Trump administration to mobilize federal forces. Johnson has issued an executive order prohibiting the Chicago Police Department from assisting federal authorities with civil immigration enforcement or participating in related control points.
Chicago is home to a important immigrant population and maintains strict policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts, creating ongoing friction with the trump administration’s deportation agenda.
Governor pritzker expressed concern on Sunday that Trump’s plans could be a tactic to “stop the elections in 2026 or, frankly, take control of those elections.”
Secretary Noem defended the potential deployment of National Guard troops, stating it is within President Trump’s “prerogative,” referencing a similar deployment to Los angeles during immigration protests in June. She further asserted,”I know I wouldn’t stand today if President Trump hadn’t taken action.That city would have burned if it had been left at the mercy of the mayor and the governor of that state.”
(Source: AP)