The Pentagon approved the Great Lakes Naval Station, located north of Chicago, to be used as an operations center for the immigration raids that the White House plans to deploy in the coming days in the third largest U.S. city.
According to leaked information, the raids are expected to begin later this week and last for at least a month.
ICE to use naval base to detain immigrants in Chicago
According to officials quoted by The Washington Post, the base – which is the U.S. Navy’s largest training facility – will serve as a hub for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
The raids are expected to begin later this week and run for at least a month, focusing on the identification, arrest and prosecution of undocumented immigrants in Chicago, a declared sanctuary city.
The move has generated tension with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who recently signed an executive order prohibiting local police from collaborating with federal agencies or the military in immigration work.
Johnson, a strong advocate for immigrant communities, has reiterated that the refugee policies seek to protect working families and build trust in local authorities.
However, the Pentagon’s decision reinforces the federal ability to act even without municipal support.
Possible military deployment
Sources consulted noted that the base could also serve to house Illinois National Guard units or even active-duty troops, if ordered by President Donald Trump.
This scenario has already occurred over the summer in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., where military personnel were deployed to support massive raids.
However, the legal margin is limited.
A few days ago, a federal judge ruled that the use of the California National Guard in immigration operations, ordered by Trump, violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law that prohibits the armed forces (Army and Air Force) from participating in civilian law enforcement unless expressly authorized by Congress.
Precedents in other military bases
This is not the first time that the Pentagon has authorized the use of its facilities for immigration purposes.
As of mid-August 2025, Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, serves as the largest detention center in the country, with the capacity to hold 5,000 immigrant detainees.
The decision to include military bases in the migration strategy has been criticized by human rights organizations that warn of a growing militarization of migration policy.
Impact on the Hispanic community
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Chicago is home to one of the largest Latino communities in the country, with about 800,000 Hispanic residents.
The possibility of massive raids has generated alarm in neighborhoods such as La Villita and Pilsen, where community leaders are already organizing information and legal advice brigades so that immigrants know their rights in case of ICE detention.
Activists point out that these actions not only generate fear in those without immigration status, but also affect mixed families – with citizen or legal resident members – who fear abrupt separations.
The Pentagon’s authorization to use the Great Lakes Naval Station as an operations center for raids in Chicago reinforces the Trump Administration’s stance to escalate immigration enforcement through military assets.
Meanwhile, the immigrant community and local government are preparing to face a period of high tension that could redefine the relationship between sanctuary cities and the federal government.
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