Trump's 'War on Crime' Justification
Inevitable Political and Legal Clashes Over National Guard Deployment
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 24th (local time) that the U.S. Department of Defense is pushing for a plan to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to Chicago in September, citing the need to crack down on crime and illegal immigration. Chicago, the third most populous city in the United States, is, along with Los Angeles, a representative "sanctuary city" that does not cooperate with the deportation of undocumented immigrants. If the Trump administration pushes ahead with the National Guard deployment despite opposition from the governor, a confrontation appears inevitable, as seen in Los Angeles last June.
According to the report, the Department of Defense has been preparing an actual troop deployment plan for several weeks, and this could be expanded to other major cities in the future. The Department of Defense also considered deploying thousands of active-duty soldiers to Chicago, but officials said the likelihood of this being implemented is currently low.
On the 22nd, President Trump stated, "Chicago is a mess. It has an incompetent mayor. Incredibly incompetent," adding, "Next, it's time to fix Chicago. It won't be difficult." The administration also justified the military intervention, calling it an "inevitable measure to restore law and order."
Immediately after President Trump's remarks, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson pushed back.
Governor Pritzker criticized, "Trump is deliberately trying to create chaos," and added, "After using Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. as testing grounds for authoritarian overreach, he is now trying to take control of other states and cities." He further emphasized, "There has been no request or contact from the federal government, and we have not requested any support at the state level," reiterating, "There is currently no emergency in Illinois that would require the president to deploy federal troops."
Mayor Johnson pointed out, "The illegal deployment of the National Guard would cause serious harm to the citizens of Chicago," and criticized, "President Trump's approach is unprepared, unnecessary, and irrational."
Normally, deploying the National Guard requires the governor's consent. However, under federal law, the president can mobilize the National Guard without the governor's approval, making political and legal conflict likely. In fact, last June, President Trump deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom, sparking controversy over abuse of authority.
Previously, President Trump deployed military forces in response to riots in Los Angeles that erupted over opposition to illegal immigration crackdowns, and more recently, he dispatched about 2,000 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., citing the need to combat crime. He has also warned that he could send troops to other major cities such as New York, Baltimore, and Oakland in the same manner.
According to Fox News, up to 1,700 additional National Guard troops are expected to be deployed in the coming weeks across 19 states, including Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. These troops will support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in operations related to the crackdown and deportation of undocumented immigrants.
In particular, President Trump has strongly pressured Democratic governors in states such as Maryland, Illinois, and California by raising issues of crime and immigration. There is analysis that the deployment of troops targeting a series of Democratic strongholds is politically motivated. The Guardian pointed out, "The Trump administration is expanding military force in Democratic-led cities under the pretext of cracking down on crime and immigration," interpreting that cities such as Chicago are being used as "targets for scoring political points."
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