On the same day that he signed an executive order to send National Guard members to Memphis, President Donald Trump is again signaling a desire to do the same in Chicago.
Speaking in the Oval Office Monday, Trump said that his administration is committed to “doing Chicago probably next” when it comes to the idea of sending in National Guard members to help combat crime, and said he believes such an effort would be successful.
“Chicago is a great city, and we’re going to make it great again very soon,” he said. “And I think we can do that, despite the tremendous size. I think we can do a real job.”
Trump said his administration is committed to “saving our country from violent crime,” and also mentioned the possibility of sending the Guard to St. Louis, Baltimore and New Orleans, among other cities.
In addition to troops, the Trump administration’s actions in Memphis will involve officials from various federal agencies, including ICE, the FBI and the DEA, according to officials.
“We’re sending in the big force now,” he said.
Unlike in Illinois, where Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have forcefully denounced the idea of using National Guard members in a law enforcement capacity, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has voiced support for the action, and was in the Oval Office for Monday’s announcement.
Chicago Politics
“I’m grateful for the President’s unwavering support and commitment to providing every resource necessary to serve Memphians, and I look forward to working with local officials and law enforcement to continue delivering results,” he said in a statement.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, was less enthusiastic, questioning whether the move would work.
“I did not ask for the National Guard, and I don’t think it’s the way to drive down crime,” he said.
Trump has insisted he has the authority to send the National Guard to Chicago despite a California court ruling he overstepped his authority in sending members to Los Angeles during protests and unrest there earlier this year.
He had indicated a desire to send the National Guard to Chicago, but later backtracked on the idea, saying that Pritzker and other officials would have to ask for such assistance.
“We could straighten out Chicago — all they have to do is ask us,” he told reporters. “I want to go into Chicago, and I have this incompetent governor who doesn’t want us.”
Pritzker said he has no plans of asking for such a deployment.
“He wants to set into the fact pattern that the governor called him to ask for help. Why? Because he’s going to end up in court,” Pritzker said. “He’s going to end up in court, and that will be a fact that they will use in court. That the governor called to ask for help, and I’m sorry I’m not going to provide him with evidence to support his desire to have the court rule in his favor. I’m just not going to do that.”
Even though the National Guard was not deployed to the city, enhanced immigration enforcement operations have been happening in the city and suburbs as part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” though the administration has not indicated how many individuals it has detained during those operations.
During one of those enforcement actions Friday, a federal agent shot and killed an undocumented immigrant on the northwest side of Chicago after federal authorities say the man refused officers’ commands and dragged an agent a significant distance with a vehicle.
A statement from ICE said that the agent was injured after being dragged by the vehicle, feared for his life and fired his weapon.
The person shot was later identified as Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, and he was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Additional enforcement actions were reported in Chicago’s western suburbs on Monday, with protests against ICE actions continuing in the city and suburbs.