Hundreds of troops from Texas have been deployed to Chicago which Donald Trump has described as a “hell hole” of crime. The US President ordered 300 National Guard soldiers to America’s third-largest city on Sunday, where they were seen arriving at an army facility outside of the metropolis. Local politicians and activists have furiously responded to the move. Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused Mr Trump of using the army as “political props” and “pawns”.
Attorneys in Illinois had tried to block the “illegal, dangerous and unconstitutional” deployment of the troops on Monday, yet failed. The move is part of the US President’s bid to eradicate violence and crime, predominantly in Democratic-controlled cities. Greg Abbott, Republican governor of Texas, posted on X: “The elite Texas National Guard are on the ground and ready to go.
“They are putting America first by ensuring that the federal government can safely enforce federal law.”
In Will County, southwest of Chicago, officials claim they were not warned by the government about the deployment at the US Army Reserve Centre in Elwood.
Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, the area’s executive, said: “The arrival of the National Guard by the Trump Administration is an aggressive overreach. Our federal government moving armed troops into our community should be alarming to everyone.”
While the National Guard’s specific mission in Chicago was not explicitly clear, the president has repeatedly described the city as a “hell hole” of crime. Protesters have also frequently demonstrated outside of an immigration building near to the city in the wake of the Trump administration’s tougher stance on immigration enforcement.
Me Trump so far has deployed troops to Los Angeles and Washington DC and has given the same order for Portland, Oregon, which he described as a “war zone”.
However, the National Guard is yet to arrive in Portland due to a legal battle between the state and the White House.
Oregon’s Democratic governor Tina Kotek said there is “no insurrection” in the state.
Troops are also being sent to Memphis – a move welcomed by Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Lee. He said they will “play a critical support role” for local law enforcement.
The National Guard currently has limits to enforcing domestic laws, yet Mr Trump has previously said he would be willing to invoke the Insurrection Act. This would allow for him to deploy active duty military in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law.
