Chicago is once again at the center of a heated national debate, as city and state leaders push back against President Donald Trump’s proposed deployment of federal troops and agents to address the city’s persistent gun violence. Over the Labor Day weekend, the city endured a grim wave of shootings, with at least 54 people shot and eight killed, according to the Chicago Police Department. As the dust settled, political tensions escalated, with both Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker standing firmly against what they describe as a federal overreach.
“No federal troops in the city of Chicago. No militarized force in the city of Chicago,” Mayor Johnson declared during a rally on September 1, 2025, as reported by Nexstar Media Inc. He continued, “We’re going to defend our democracy in the city of Chicago. We’re going to protect the humanity of every single person in the city of Chicago.” The mayor’s remarks came just days after he signed a sweeping executive order that reaffirmed the Chicago Police Department’s autonomy and urged President Trump to “stand down” from sending National Guard troops into the city.
Governor Pritzker echoed Johnson’s sentiments at a news conference on September 2, 2025, pointedly refusing to request federal troops despite the president’s insistence that governors should seek such assistance. “Chicago does not want troops on our streets,” Pritzker said, according to NewsNation. “I refuse to play a reality gameshow with Donald Trump again.” Instead, Pritzker denounced the planned deployment as “political theater,” suggesting that the move is less about public safety and more about “testing power to produce political drama to cover up corruption.”
Meanwhile, federal law enforcement agencies have already begun preparations. Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Homeland Security have started staging at Naval Station Great Lakes, a military base about 35 miles north of Chicago. Internal emails obtained by news outlets indicate that these agents are scheduled to remain at the base through September 30, 2025. A spokesperson for the base confirmed that it would provide “limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure and other logistical needs.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem added fuel to the fire, announcing on August 31, 2025, that immigration enforcement operations in Chicago would soon expand, with plans to add more resources. She also confirmed that the administration is considering using the Naval Station as a staging area for immigration agents, a move that has drawn concern from local officials and community advocates alike.
Governor Pritzker warned that the timing of these operations coincides with Mexican Independence Day celebrations in September, raising fears that unidentifiable masked agents would conduct raids in Latino communities. “It’s not about fighting crime, but about testing power,” Pritzker argued, noting that similar federal actions had taken place in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. He further claimed that Texas National Guard units have already started staging in Illinois and speculated that Trump may deploy active-duty military to “protect ICE” operations.
President Trump, for his part, has not minced words. In a Truth Social post on September 2, 2025, he wrote, “At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 8 people were killed. The last two weekends were similar. Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far. [Illinois Gov. JB] Pritzker needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet.” Trump continued, “I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, and soon. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Despite the president’s dire assessment, city and state leaders insist that Chicago has made significant progress in reducing crime. Pritzker cited statistics showing that murders are down nearly 50% over the past four years, shootings have decreased by 57%, and robberies are down 34%. Mayor Johnson also highlighted the city’s efforts to remove illegal firearms, stating that Chicago police have confiscated 24,000 illegal guns since he took office. He called for federal action to stop gun trafficking, emphasizing that most illegal firearms in Chicago come from out of state, particularly Mississippi and Louisiana.
The debate has also drawn in voices from law enforcement and the community. Former Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told NewsNation that while city leaders were “doing a pretty good job” on violent crime, he believes they should work with the National Guard if troops do arrive. “Most people in the city probably wouldn’t want the National Guard … if I were the mayor, I would call the president and see how this could work for both parties,” Johnson said.
Community members, too, are divided. Rolando Amato, a friend of one of the victims killed over the holiday weekend, expressed the anguish many Chicagoans feel. “We lose friends, family members, and all kinds of stuff all the time,” he told NewsNation. “Whether the National Guard can help that or not is up for debate. Something obviously needs to be done for innocent people not to get killed.”
President Trump has pointed to his previous deployment of the National Guard and federal agents in Washington, D.C., declaring that he made the capital a “safe zone.” However, the legality and effectiveness of such deployments remain contentious. On the same morning as the Chicago debate intensified, a federal judge in California ruled that a similar deployment in Los Angeles had violated the law.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul acknowledged the severity of Chicago’s crime problem but insisted it is not unique. “We won’t deny we have a serious crime problem in Chicago, like other cities across the nation. Recent reports of mass shootings are horrific. While Chicago’s crime problem is serious, it’s far from the worst in the country,” Raoul said.
As federal agents continue to stage at Naval Station Great Lakes and the Trump administration signals its intent to intervene, the city’s leadership remains defiant. Mayor Johnson’s executive order, signed on Saturday, reaffirmed that Chicago police officers answer to him, not the federal government. Pritzker, for his part, maintained that “National guard troops, any kind of troops, on the streets of an American city don’t belong unless there’s an insurrection, unless there is an emergency — there is not.”
With both sides entrenched and the nation watching closely, Chicago stands at a crossroads—caught between the urgent need to address gun violence and the imperative to protect local control and civil liberties. The coming weeks will reveal whether the city’s leaders can chart their own course or if federal forces will soon be a common sight on Chicago’s streets.
