Chicago is once again at the center of a national debate over crime, immigration, and federal intervention, as the Trump administration ramps up enforcement efforts and floats the possibility of deploying National Guard troops to the city. The last two weeks have seen an aggressive surge in immigration arrests, leaving many residents unsettled and local leaders fiercely opposed to what they describe as political theater rather than a genuine solution to violence or immigration challenges.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly singled out Chicago for what he describes as rampant violent crime, warning that the city is “probably next” in line for a National Guard deployment after Memphis. According to the Associated Press, the administration remains tight-lipped about the specifics—when troops might arrive, how many would be sent, what their mission would be, or how long they’d stay. The lack of clarity has only added to the anxiety and speculation among Chicagoans.
While Trump’s rhetoric has shifted between threats of unilateral deployment and suggestions that other cities like New Orleans or Baltimore could also be targets, Chicago appears to be in sharp focus. In a recent social media post, the president declared, “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” His words have done little to reassure a city already grappling with the complex realities of gun violence and immigration enforcement.
Violent crime is a persistent problem in Chicago, but it’s not as simple as the headlines might suggest. According to data cited by the Rochester Institute of Technology and reported by the Associated Press, Chicago recorded 573 homicides in 2024—a rate of 21 per 100,000 residents. That figure, while still high, is 25% lower than in 2020 and below the rates of several other major U.S. cities. As is often the case in large urban areas, violence is not evenly distributed: most shootings occur on the city’s South and West sides, leaving other neighborhoods relatively untouched.
For families like Delphine Cherry’s, the toll of violence is deeply personal. Cherry lost her 16-year-old daughter, Tyesa, in 1992 when a stray bullet struck her in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood—a tragic case of a bystander caught in a gang crossfire. Two decades later, Cherry’s son Tyler was fatally shot in the driveway of their suburban Hazel Crest home. “You don’t think it’s going to happen twice in your life,” Cherry told the Associated Press. Despite her advocacy for gun violence prevention, Cherry is skeptical about the National Guard’s ability to make a meaningful difference. “They’re not going to ask questions,” she said. “They are trained to kill on sight.”
Cherry’s concerns are echoed by others who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Trevon Bosley, whose brother Terrell was shot and killed in 2006 while unloading drums outside a church, argues that resources—not troops—are what Chicago neighborhoods need. “There is so much love and so much community in Chicago,” Bosley said. “There are communities that need help. When those resources are provided, they become just as beautiful as downtown, just as beautiful as the North Side.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have emerged as vocal opponents of the proposed troop deployment. Both leaders point to the recent decline in homicides and have called for increased federal funding for violence prevention programs instead of military intervention. Their stance is underscored by the Trump administration’s own decision to cut $158 million in federal funding for such programs this year—a move critics say undermines the fight against violence at its roots. “If it was about safety, then the Trump administration would not have slashed $158 million in federal funding for violence prevention programs this year,” Yolanda Androzzo, executive director of One Aim Illinois, told the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the federal government has not waited for the National Guard to begin ramping up enforcement. On September 8, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a major operation in the Chicago area, resulting in nearly 550 arrests in less than two weeks, according to the Department of Homeland Security (as reported by the Associated Press). The operation, which includes ICE and other federal agencies, is part of a broader crackdown that follows similar efforts in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Marcos Charles, acting head of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, explained that roughly 50% to 60% of the arrests were targeted—meaning ICE was specifically seeking individuals with criminal convictions, final orders of removal, or other priorities. The remaining arrests were “collateral,” involving undocumented individuals encountered during operations, regardless of whether they were the original targets. Charles noted, “It doesn’t mean that the collateral arrests are non-criminal. Some of our collateral arrests … also have criminal convictions and arrests. They just weren’t the people we were looking for at the time.”
Collateral arrests had been disallowed under the Biden administration but were reinstated by Trump, part of a broader push to increase deportations. The aggressive tactics have drawn sharp criticism from activists and immigrant advocates, who point to reports of excessive force and heavy-handed sweeps. The Associated Press reported that two U.S. citizens were briefly detained by federal officers this week, fueling fears of mistaken identity and indiscriminate enforcement.
Perhaps most troubling was the death of a man shot by an ICE officer on September 12, after authorities said he tried to flee during a traffic stop, dragging the officer. The incident has become a rallying point for critics who say the federal approach is both dangerous and ineffective.
Local officials and activists argue that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and that forcing city police to cooperate with ICE undermines trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities. When immigrants fear deportation, they are less likely to report crimes or cooperate as witnesses, making neighborhoods less safe for everyone, advocates say.
Despite the administration’s claims of success—pointing to more than 2,100 arrests in Washington, D.C., and an 87% decline in carjackings following federal deployment—questions remain about the long-term impact and the cost to civil liberties. In Washington, an unusually high rate of cases being dropped has led at least one judge to question whether prosecutors are rushing to charge suspects before investigations are complete.
For now, Chicago waits in a state of uneasy anticipation. The promised National Guard deployment has yet to materialize, but the surge in federal immigration enforcement is already reshaping daily life in many neighborhoods. As the debate continues, families like Delphine Cherry’s and Trevon Bosley’s remind the city—and the nation—that the real solutions may lie not in shows of force, but in the slow, patient work of building safer, stronger communities from the ground up.
