Chicago on Alert as Trump Considers Invoking Insurrection Act, Troop Deployment Looms
President says military action may be “necessary” to restore law and order; Illinois leaders vow to resist federal intervention.
Washington/Chicago, Oct 7: U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, a law that allows a president to deploy military forces within the country, amid escalating tensions in Chicago and Portland over immigration enforcement and public unrest.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he would use the act “if necessary” to ensure public safety.
“So far, it hasn’t been necessary, but we have an Insurrection Act for a reason,” he said. “If people were being killed and courts or local leaders were holding us up, I’d do it. We have to make sure our cities are safe.”
Trump has already authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, with an additional 200 troops from Texas expected to arrive by Wednesday. He claimed the move was aimed at curbing rising crime and protecting federal officers from ongoing protests targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Protesters have clashed with ICE officers in both Chicago and Portland as the administration’s immigration crackdown intensifies. Over the weekend, a federal judge temporarily blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in Portland. However, a similar appeal by Chicago officials was denied.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned the move, calling it an act of federal overreach.
“We will not let the Trump administration continue their authoritarian march without resisting,” he said, vowing to use “every lever” to protect state sovereignty.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also signed an executive order establishing “ICE-free zones” across the city, preventing federal agents from using certain city-owned areas for immigration operations.
“We have a rogue, reckless group of heavily armed, masked individuals roaming throughout our city that are not accountable to the people of Chicago,” Johnson said.
The situation remains tense, with federal and local authorities at odds over jurisdiction and enforcement powers. Trump’s remarks have raised fears of an unprecedented military presence in major U.S. cities under the Insurrection Act.
