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Former President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago has been met with fierce criticism from Mayor Brandon Johnson, who denounced the move as a political ‘stunt.’ The Democrat Mayor, speaking at a press conference, argued that the action has ‘nothing to do with public safety’ and is purely ‘about politics, money and power.’ Trump has been testing the limits of his executive power, having previously deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in June to ‘crack down on what he saw as a crime-ridden city.’ The latest move against Chicago, a largely immigrant and Latino area, comes despite Mayor Johnson’s office reporting a 21.6 per cent decrease in violent crime just last month.
Furthermore, dozens of Border Patrol agents are already reportedly patrolling the streets of Chicago, adding to the tension.
The President’s actions have prompted legal challenges, with Oregon and its largest city, Portland, filing a lawsuit to block the deployment of guardsmen, claiming the President’s ‘provocative and arbitrary’ actions actually threaten to undermine public safety by inciting a public outcry.
Trump, in justifying his actions, has claimed that ICE facilities in Portland are ‘under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists.’ The ongoing deployment and the strong pushback from local and state officials underscore the escalating use of federal power in domestic affairs and the deep political divide over how to manage public safety in US cities.