Chicago is bracing for a wave of federal immigration enforcement and a possible deployment of the National Guard, as President Donald Trump intensifies his use of military and federal resources to address crime and immigration in major U.S. cities. The city’s churches, particularly those serving Black and Latino communities, have responded with calls for calm resistance and practical preparation, urging congregants to carry identification, stay in close contact with loved ones, and protest peacefully.
On Sunday, September 7, 2025, the Rev. Marshall Hatch addressed the congregation at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, located in Chicago’s West Garfield Park neighborhood. His message was clear and urgent: “You need to start telling people about your whereabouts, so you don’t disappear,” Hatch said, according to the Associated Press. “We’re not going to despair. We’re not going to feel threatened. We’re not going to give up and give in to fascism and authoritarianism.”
The anticipation of federal intervention has stirred deep anxieties in Chicago, especially among immigrant communities and neighborhoods with a history of strained relations with law enforcement. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to send federal agents and even the National Guard to Democratic strongholds like Chicago, citing the need to fight crime and ramp up deportations. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, confirmed on CNN’s “State of the Union” that federal law enforcement action would arrive in Chicago during the week of September 8, with plans for worksite enforcement operations similar to the recent controversial raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia.
Details about the scope and timing of the intervention remain sparse. However, the Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to use a military base north of the city and a federal immigration processing center in a nearby suburb for an operation that could last up to 45 days. The move follows Trump’s previous deployments of the National Guard in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.—actions that have sparked legal battles, with a federal judge ruling the Los Angeles deployment illegal.
For many in Chicago’s Black and Latino communities, the prospect of increased federal law enforcement and military presence is a source of fear and resentment. Lester Burks, a 74-year-old U.S. Army veteran and member of New Mount Pilgrim, expressed his unease: “I don’t want soldiers here. They are trained to fight.” The city’s nearly 3 million residents are predominantly Black or Latino, and neighborhoods like West Garfield Park have long grappled with crime and disinvestment. Five schools near the church closed in 2013, part of the largest mass public closure in U.S. history.
Despite these challenges, church leaders are emphasizing solutions rooted in community investment rather than force. On Sunday, New Mount Pilgrim celebrated the groundbreaking of a new arts and activism center, which Rev. Hatch described as “part of the solution.” He told congregants, “We’re not calling for military, we’re calling for resources. We know that there is a correlation between resources and violence.”
Other churches across Chicago have stepped up efforts to educate their communities about their rights during interactions with immigration agents, encouraging parishioners to carry necessary documents and remain vigilant. The memory of the January 2025 immigration operation, which led to a sharp drop in attendance at immigrant-heavy and Latino churches, looms large. Clergy are preparing for similar impacts in the coming weeks, with the Rev. Paco Amador of New Life Community Church in Little Village noting, “It feels like anything can happen at any moment. It would be irresponsible not to talk about this.”
The expected federal intervention presents a delicate challenge for the Chicago Police Department as well. According to the Associated Press, local police must maintain public safety without appearing to collaborate too closely with federal immigration authorities—a balance that, if mishandled, could erode community trust and spark protests. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has openly opposed any National Guard deployment, and city officials are wary of how an increased federal presence might reshape the relationship between police and residents.
This trend of expanding military and federal involvement in domestic affairs is not limited to Chicago. Trump has rapidly escalated the use of National Guard troops and federal agents in cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., deploying military resources for mass immigration enforcement and crime crackdowns. Congressional Republicans have largely supported these moves, granting the president significant leeway as he contemplates sending troops to other cities, including Baltimore and New Orleans.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies have drawn international attention and diplomatic fallout. The recent raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia resulted in the detention of 475 workers, more than 300 of whom were South Korean nationals. South Korea’s foreign minister traveled to the U.S. to negotiate their release, and the U.S. agreed to allow the workers to return home once administrative steps are completed. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the raid, arguing that tough enforcement provides clarity for foreign companies investing in the U.S. “This is a great opportunity for us to make sure that all companies are reassured that when you come to the United States, you’ll know what the rules of the game are,” Noem said.
Federal courts have played a significant role in shaping the administration’s actions. On September 8, Chief Justice John Roberts allowed President Trump to remove Rebecca Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission, despite lower court rulings requiring cause for such removals. The Supreme Court also lifted restrictions on federal immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, granting agents broader authority for immigration stops—another victory for the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. The administration has argued that previous court orders unduly hampered agents’ ability to carry out their duties.
In Washington, Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced plans to change Senate rules to expedite the confirmation of Trump’s executive branch nominees after months of Democratic delays. “We must return to the Senate’s traditional confirmation process that existed before this unprecedented blockade,” Thune wrote in an op-ed for Breitbart.com.
President Trump has also continued to intertwine religion and politics, delivering his family Bible to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., and launching the “America Prays” initiative, which aims to involve one million Americans a week in prayer for the country’s 250th anniversary. In a speech at the Religious Liberty Commission, Trump declared, “America was founded on faith,” and added, “we’re defending our rights and restoring our identity as a nation under God.”
As Chicago stands on the brink of a major federal operation, the city’s churches, civic leaders, and residents are navigating a period of profound uncertainty. Their response—a blend of vigilance, resistance, and calls for investment over militarization—reflects a community determined to chart its own course, even as national politics and policy shifts bear down on its neighborhoods.
