US President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, Illinois, to deal with what he calls an out-of-control crime situation.
His move came just hours after immigration officials said there had been clashes with protesters in the Democratic-led city, according to reports.
Federal and state leaders have criticized Trump’s plans to deploy troops for weeks, calling them an abuse of power.
“Trump is trying to create a crisis,” Illinois Governor Jay Robert “JB” Pritzker said.
It is not yet known whether the troops have arrived in Chicago, but any such deployment is likely to face legal challenges.
The US president decided in late September to send 200 troops to Portland, Oregon’s largest city, to “protect federal property,” but a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from implementing it.
Portland is the latest city to be targeted by the controversial troop deployment.
Trump previously ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, Washington, and Memphis, cities governed by Democrats.
The deployment raised legal and constitutional questions, as National Guard troops are usually deployed by the state governor, and centuries-old laws limit the government’s use of the military for internal affairs.
Protests have been increasing in Chicago over the city’s immigration enforcement, with many taking place outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement buildings.
