Chicago rebels against Trump’s militarization plan

The Trump administration’s plan to militarize Democratic jurisdictions also targets Chicago, where political and community leaders warn that it seeks not to ensure security, but to silence dissent, undermine the rule of law and sow fear among immigrants.

“Chicago is going to be clear in opposition to this president, who is trying to find ways to silence us, to end dissent. But the attacks on Chicago and Illinois are not about security, we know that. It’s about terrorizing the resistance,” Democratic Congresswoman Delia Ramirez told EFE.

Chicago against Trump’s militarization

“Trump and his loyalists are willing to use the government as a weapon against political opposition and communities because we resist these unconstitutional agendas.

“Deploying troops in a violent spectacle undermines the rule of law, separation of powers and state sovereignty,” Ramirez added.

The Sun-Times newspaper this week reported on the alleged readiness of the Great Lakes Naval Station, located in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

This is to receive immigration agents and National Guard soldiers from next Tuesday until September 30, based on official internal mailings.

“What is most concerning is the chilling effect this will have on our streets, especially on our immigrant families,” Norma Hernandez, a Democratic state representative in Illinois, told EFE.

Although unconfirmed, Chicago leaders are preparing for an operation similar to those carried out in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

Last June, 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines were deployed in the first city to quell protests against federal immigration arrests.

While in the capital Trump this August federalized the police force and ordered the deployment of federal law enforcement agents and thousands of National Guard members, some armed, to carry out detentions and arrests.

An attack against minorities

“Trump’s proposed military operation in Illinois is an attack on all communities: black, immigrant, urban and suburban,” Artemio Arreola, executive of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy, told EFE.

The coalition and the community are distributing the brochure ‘Know Your Rights.”

In addition, they are increasing the capacity of the Family Support Hotline.

They are also organizing local rapid response teams “to ensure that people affected by the occupation receive the support they need”.

Both Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, consider military intervention unnecessary because they argue that crime is down significantly.

The governor has repeatedly dismissed the idea that Trump’s threats had anything to do with public safety.

“If this is really about fighting crime and making the streets safe, what justification could the White House have for planning such an exceptional action without any conversation or consultation with the governor, the mayor or the police?” he asked this week at a press conference.

Unite against Trump’s militarization

Johnson, as well as Illinois Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, said state and local officials have not been called to coordinate with federal authorities or asked for their consent for an intervention.

“Forcing the military, uninvited, into Chicago to intimidate Americans in their own communities does not strengthen our nation; it simply distracts the military from its primary mission which is to protect Americans from real adversaries who wish to do us harm,” Duckworth said.

“It is yet another unwarranted, unwanted and unjust move, befitting authoritarianism, that will only undermine the readiness of our armed forces and ultimately weaken our national security,” he added.

Last Tuesday, President Trump reiterated his threats to the governor, stating that Pritzker should ask for his support, just a day after he said he would not send federal resources unless the governor asked for help.

“I’m not a dictator, I just know how to stop crime,” Trump said at this week’s cabinet meeting.

“But (Pritzker) should call me and say, ‘Could you send in the troops, please? It’s out of control.'”

Pritzker, Johnson and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul have stated that they are exploring all legal options in the face of a possible federal deployment to Chicago.

For former Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, the deployment will be pure theater.

“Those troops do not have powers to arrest, they do not conduct investigations,” he said.

“At best, they are scarecrows. But if they don’t coordinate with the police, how will they know where they are needed? I think it’s pure smokescreen,” he told the local press.