The Trump administration plans to federalize 300 Illinois National Guard troops, Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker announced on Saturday (October 4, 2025), intensifying the president’s use of federal forces in U.S. cities.
The move comes as a similar deployment of 200 National Guard troops in Oregon was temporarily blocked by a federal judge, who ruled that small protests near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility did not justify military intervention. Trump has described both Chicago and Portland as “war zones,” asserting that strong federal action is needed to curb crime and unrest.
In Chicago, federal officers have conducted arrests near immigration facilities, and the Department of Homeland Security reported shooting a woman in self-defense after she allegedly rammed a vehicle into agents. Protesters and residents have raised concerns about racial profiling and excessive use of force.
Trump has previously deployed or threatened National Guard troops to at least ten U.S. cities, including Baltimore, Memphis, and Los Angeles. Governors in Illinois and Oregon have opposed the interventions, citing constitutional concerns over state sovereignty. Legal challenges continue, with appellate courts reviewing deployments in California.
Meanwhile, Republican governors in Louisiana and Tennessee have requested federal support to combat crime, citing elevated violence in some cities.
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