Trump labels Chicago “war zone”

• Trump administration calls Chicago a "war zone" to justify National Guard deployment.
• 300 National Guard soldiers authorized for Chicago despite opposition from Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker.
• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defends deployment; Pritzker accuses Republicans of creating chaos.
• CBS poll: 42 percent of Americans support the National Guard in cities, 58 percent oppose.

The Trump administration escalated tensions with Democratic-led cities on Sunday, labeling Chicago a "war zone" as a justification for sending National Guard troops despite local opposition, while a federal judge blocked a similar deployment in Portland, Oregon.

President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard soldiers to Chicago on Saturday, prompting strong pushback from local officials, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the decision on Fox News, calling the city "a war zone."

Governor Pritzker dismissed the administration’s claims, telling CNN's State of the Union, "They want to create the war zone, so that they can send in even more troops. They need to get the heck out."

A CBS poll released Sunday found that 42 percent of Americans support National Guard deployments to cities, while 58 percent oppose the measure.

Trump, continuing his hardline approach to crime and immigration, recently claimed, "Portland is burning to the ground. It's insurrectionists all over the place," a statement fact-checked as inaccurate. His ally, House Speaker Mike Johnson, echoed the rhetoric, describing National Guard deployments in Washington, D.C., as a response to a "literal war zone."

The President’s domestic military campaign suffered a setback in Portland, where US District Judge Karin Immergut temporarily blocked the deployment, ruling that "the president's determination was simply untethered to the facts." She added, "This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law." Although Portland has seen isolated attacks on federal officers and property, the court found no evidence of a coordinated effort to overthrow the government to justify military intervention.

Trump advisor Stephen Miller criticized the ruling, calling it "legal insurrection."

Alongside troop deployments, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been conducting raids in cities, primarily those led by Democrats, as part of the administration’s intensified crackdown. These operations, involving masked officers in unmarked vehicles, have targeted residential areas and businesses, sparking protests.

Tensions in Chicago escalated Saturday when a federal officer shot a motorist who, according to the Department of Homeland Security, was armed and had rammed a patrol vehicle. DHS officials also reported that ICE officers fatally shot 38-year-old immigrant Silverio Villegas Gozalez during a traffic stop on September 12, alleging he attempted to flee and dragged an officer with his vehicle.