Trump Calls Chicago ‘War Zone’ As Judge Halts Troop Deployment To Another Democrat City

Illinois State Police stand guard while monitoring protesters gathering near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview. (AFP photo)

The Trump administration has described Chicago as a “war zone” in an effort to justify deploying federal troops to the city, despite strong opposition from local Democratic leaders. Meanwhile, a federal judge has blocked a similar attempt to send troops to Portland, Oregon, further escalating tensions between the White House and Democrat-led cities.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump had approved the deployment of 300 National Guard soldiers to Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States. This was done without the approval of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker or Chicago’s mayor, both of whom have spoken out strongly against the move.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the decision during a Sunday interview on Fox News, calling the city as “a war zone” and claiming the deployment is necessary to restore order.

But Governor Pritzker, speaking on CNN, accused the administration of trying to create chaos as a pretext for military intervention. “They want to create the war zone, so that they can send in even more troops,” he said.

Calling the decision “Trump’s invasion,” Pritzker said there was “no reason” for federal troops to enter the state without coordination with local authorities. A CBS poll released Sunday found that 58% of Americans oppose the deployment of the National Guard to cities.

Meanwhile, in Portland, a US District Court judge issued a temporary block on a similar troop deployment. Judge Karin Immergut ruled that the White House had failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify military intervention. “This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law,” she wrote.

The White House has continued to claim that cities like Portland are overrun by violent unrest, with Trump stating that “Portland is burning to the ground.” However, local officials and court findings say the administration’s portrayal is exaggerated.

In Chicago, the federal crackdown led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already sparked controversy. Over the weekend, a federal officer shot a motorist who allegedly rammed a government vehicle. Earlier, ICE officers were involved in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old immigrant Silverio Villegas Gonzalez during a traffic stop.

(With inputs from AFP)