09/01/2025

ALBANY PARK, CHICAGO — On August 23, The Washington Post reported that Trump’s Pentagon has been planning the deployment of National Guard Troops to Chicago.

Here is what we know, so far, and what we can expect, based on the troop deployment to LA and the occupation of Washington, DC.

• National Guard and Marines were deployed to LA, costing $134M over 60 days, according to Defense News
• 2,100 National Guard were deployed to DC, costing $1M a day according to CNN
• Due to its lack of statehood, Trump was able to federalize the DC local police, reports ABC 7 by invoking DC’s “Homerule Act”
• Due to IL statehood, Trump should be unable to federalize the Chicago Police. But these are unprecedented times, and we should carry no illusions about whose side they are on.
• As reported by WUSA 9 in DC, the National Guard and federalized police are being supplemented by other federal officers, such as FBI and Homeland Security, in addition to the presence of ICE.
• The federalized presence in DC has led to the harassment of residents for legal and mundance issues like smoking cigarettes or marijuana in public, drinking beer on a private porch, as covered on Filter Magazine and even HBO’s Last Week Tonight
• DC has checkpoints set up across the city, adding to the feeling of a military occupation, according to DC’s WTOP News
• Homeless encampments have been targeted for clearings, as reported by The Washington Post
• Between August 7 and 20, just 13 days, this occupation led to the arrest of 550 people: 225 of undocumented people, 3 of alleged gang members, and 322 for “other” reasons, according to ABC 7
• All of this terror is in addition to the existing crackdown on migrants by ICE

While Trump is masking this dictatorial power-grab in the language of fighting crime in DC and Chicago, this is actually happening during a historic drop in crime. As reported in The Triibe, “Chicago is seeing historic lows in crime. According to data from the Chicago Police Department, the city has experienced a 32% reduction in homicides, a 36% drop in shootings and a 36% decrease in robberies from last year. … Despite the stigma that Chicago is a crime-ridden and dangerous place, Chicago’s tourism is up. In 2024, international visitors surpassed two million for the first time since 2019, according to the city’s tourism agency, Choose Chicago.” (Emphasis added)

Our Leadership

Meanwhile, the leadership of Chicago and the state of Illinois consistently rejects the President’s pursuit of authoritarianism in our city.

As Ald. Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez stated on social media: “Chicago is not going to allow the orange clown to try a military occupation of our city. We won’t let them. It’s enraging that with so much need in our communities for housing, mental health care, jobs, food insecurity…they are spending our tax money and resources on harassing the people in big cities. Crime in Chicago is at a 30-year low. We need you to do your job and get us the resources we need to care for people. We don’t like you or want you here, President Manchild. And to the troops who are doing as they’re told, you don’t have to do this. Stand with the people and prevent unnecessary confrontation and violence.” (Emphasis added)

Illinois State Senator Graciela Guzmán has stated, “It is appalling that the federal administration is attempting to implement martial law under the guise of public safety. In reality, their mobilization of troops would not better protect Chicagoans, but rather attempt to intimidate residents and public officials to not speak out against their crimes.”

Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson agreed, stating, “The National Guard will not alleviate the housing crisis. It will not put food in the stomachs of the 1 in 4 children that go to bed hungry every night in Chicago. The National Guard will not fully-fund our public schools or provide mental healthcare or substance abuse treatment to Chicagoans in need. The National Guard is no substitute for dedicated local law enforcement and community violence interrupters who know and serve our communities every day. There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them.”

What Can You Do?

Organizations and rapid-response networks across the city are currently discussing local and city-wide responses. Most immediately, The Chicago Federation of Labor is planning a Labor Day March against the occupation. Additionally, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, The Chicago Alliance, and more are calling for protests at Federal Plaza if troops are deployed: on the day of if they arrive before 3pm, on the following day if they arrive after 5pm.

In the 33rd Ward, we will continue working with our rapid-response contacts. We also have an election to win, in order to make sure that our champions in office can continue to fight back both against the Trumpian Republicans and Do-nothing Democratic Establishment. As the situation unfolds, our canvassers will collect petition signatures for our endorsed candidates while using these canvasses as a “neighborhood watch” against federal checkpoints and other troop mobilizations.

If you’d like to be a part of the movement to send proven progressives into office while also helping protect our neighbors, see our calendar for upcoming canvasses! You can also check out our Petitions & Picnic campaign launch this Saturday, September 6, 10am!

As one of our members stated, “If Trump wants it quiet in Chicago, don’t send troops here.”