President Donald Trump has approved the deployment of troops to Chicago following an incident where a federal agent shot an allegedly armed motorist on Saturday. In contrast, a judge has thwarted Trump’s efforts to send the military to Portland, another city under Democratic leadership.
The situation unfolding nationwide highlights the clash between Trump’s increasingly militarized stance on crime and immigration and the opposition from Democrats who view his actions as a move towards authoritarian control.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that President Trump has given the green light for 300 national guardsmen to safeguard federal officers and assets in Chicago. This decision comes after weeks of warnings from the President about sending troops to the city against the wishes of local authorities.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin criticized the move, labeling it as a “shameful chapter in our nation’s history,” and accusing the President of instilling fear rather than combating crime.
Chicago and Portland have become the latest focal points in the Trump administration’s enforcement operations, which have also targeted Los Angeles and Washington. These operations have involved armed, masked groups in unmarked vehicles patrolling residential areas and businesses, leading to public demonstrations.
While Trump has described Portland as a city plagued by violence, US District Judge Karin Immergut rebuffed his assertions, stating that the President’s claims were not supported by evidence. The judge granted a temporary restraining order after finding that the Trump administration had not proven that the incidents of violence were part of a coordinated effort to overthrow the government.
Senator Ron Wyden applauded the court order, emphasizing that Oregon residents do not support Trump’s deployment of federal troops to provoke violence in the state.
In a separate incident in Chicago, a federal officer shot a motorist after law enforcement agents were surrounded by multiple vehicles, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The motorist, armed with a semi-automatic weapon, was allegedly shot in self-defense by law enforcement officials.
Following the shooting, there were protests in Chicago against federal agents, with demonstrators chanting “ICE go home!” and encountering tear gas and pepper balls. The situation escalated before federal agents eventually left the area, leading to the dispersal of the protesters.
The shooting incident in Chicago adds to the ongoing “Operation Midway Blitz” initiated by Trump last month. This is not the first time federal agents have resorted to firing their weapons, as seen in a previous incident where an ICE officer shot and killed a 38-year-old immigrant during a traffic stop.