Federal agents are now on the ground in Chicago. President Donald Trump ordered 300 Homeland Security officers to the city. He said they were needed to control what he called “uncontrollable crime.” This move came just hours after a tense standoff.
The incident that sparked the deployment happened on a recent Saturday. US immigration officers faced off with protesters in Chicago. Things turned violent when an armed woman, with other demonstrators, drove vehicles into law enforcement cars. Border Patrol officers then shot the woman. Her injuries are unknown, but the Department of Homeland Security says she drove herself to a local hospital.
President Trump’s decision quickly drew fire from state and local leaders. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized the President directly. He accused Trump of “trying to create a crisis” with the deployment. Other officials also called the action an “abuse of power.”
A Pattern of Federal Deployments
This isn’t the only city seeing federal agents arrive. The situation in Chicago mirrors events elsewhere. In Portland, Oregon, a federal judge stepped in to stop a similar deployment. That ruling temporarily blocked 200 Homeland Security officers from operating in Portland.
Judge Karin Immergut found issues with President Trump’s statements about Portland. She said they were “inconsistent with facts.” The judge also stated that sending troops without the state’s consent went against the constitution. She warned it could “blur the lines” between civilian and military power. This would also undermine the state’s own authority.
The White House Stance
The White House offered its own reasons for the deployments. Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson, said President Trump had to act. She noted “violent riots and disorder” that local leaders had not addressed. Jackson stressed that the President would not ignore chaos in American cities. The 300 federal agents are there to protect federal staff and buildings, she added.
Chicago’s crime rates present a mixed picture. Violent crime has dropped quite a bit over the last two years. However, the overall crime level in the city is still much higher than in most other US cities.
Source: BBC