While speaking with U.S. senior military leaders in Quantico, Virginia, Tuesday, President Donald Trump proposed using what he described as “high-crime” U.S. cities for military training exercises. “And I told [Secretary of State] Pete [Hegseth], we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military, National Guard, but military because we’re going into Chicago very soon,” Trump told the military leaders.
Previous troop deployments and local pushback
In the last few months, Trump has deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., while threatening to deploy troops in various other cities, including Portland, Oregon, and Chicago.
In both LA and D.C., local leaders opposed that decision; however, Trump sent troops anyway.
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Trump claims National Guard troops have made D.C. safer than ever. He touted more than 1,700 criminals taken off the streets with the federalization of the Metro Police Department.
“Washington, D.C. is now a safe city,” Trump claimed. “In fact, I went out to dinner with my crew. I haven’t done that. In theory, I wouldn’t do that. And I felt totally safe. And nobody’s been attacked, nobody’s been hurt.”
Chicago in focus amid constitutional concerns
Now, Trump is eyeing sending troops to other Democratic-led cities, including Chicago.
“Last week, they had 11 people murdered, 44 people shot,” Trump said. “The week before that they had five people murdered, 28 people shot. Every weekend, they lose five, six. If they lose five, they consider it a great week. They shouldn’t lose any.”
Gov. JB Pritzker called it a “blatant violation of the Constitution.”
“All of us should recognize, this is a violation of the Constitution,” Pritzker said. “I mean, that is what they’re headed for. That is what we are standing up here and decrying. And in the end, they are hurting our state. Not helping. They’re hurting our state.”
Federal boots are already on the ground in Chicago, mostly helping with immigration enforcement efforts.
The Posse Comitatus Act generally prevents the military from enforcing civilian laws, such as making arrests, controlling protests or doing police work. Federal troops can be used in civilian law enforcement, but only if the Constitution or Congress specifically allows it.
