Troops to enter Chicago, Trump wants Dem leaders jailed

Emily Schmall, Susan Heavey and Daniel Trotta | October 9, 2025

Some 500 National Guard troops are deployed near Chicago on President Donald Trump’s orders despite the objections of the Chicago mayor and Illinois governor, who decry the militarisation of their city as an unnecessary provocation.

Trump in turn on Wednesday called for the jailing of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, neither of whom has been accused of criminal wrongdoing. Both have emerged as prominent opponents of Trump’s immigration crackdown and deployment of National Guard troops in Democratic-leaning cities.

The National Guard on Wednesday said about 200 soldiers from Texas and 300 from Illinois had gathered in the Chicago area, and were ready to protect federal personnel, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and federal property in the city.

While Trump administration officials have sounded the alarm over what they call lawless and violent protests in cities such as Chicago and Portland, Oregon, demonstrations over Trump’s immigration policies have been largely peaceful and limited in size, far from the “war zone” conditions described by Trump.

Several hundred people marched in downtown Chicago on Wednesday evening, protesting the deployment of National Guard troops and reflecting increasing anger at the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign in the Chicago area.

Otherwise, the streets of downtown Chicago hummed with normal commuter traffic on Wednesday, except for the frequent drone of helicopters overhead, a feature of Chicago’s skies since the Trump administration’s federal incursions began last month.

In Latino and Black neighbourhoods of Chicago, where immigration agents have been most visible, people have come out of their homes and businesses to criticise the perceived mistreatment of their neighbours by federal officers.

Trump, elected in 2024 following promises to crack down on immigration and retaliate against his political opponents, accused Johnson and Pritzker of failing to protect immigration officers who have been operating in Chicago.

“Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” Trump wrote on social media.

Johnson, the Chicago mayor, signed an executive order on Monday creating an “ICE Free Zone” that prohibits federal immigration agents from using city property in their operations.

“This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested. I’m not going anywhere,” Johnson said on social media.

Governor Pritzker, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, likewise said he would not back down.

“Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found most Americans oppose deployments without an external threat.