Memphis and Portland, Ore. brace for troops. Why Chicago might be next
Chicago is bracing for a possible National Guard deployment while Memphis and Portland, Ore. prepare for the arrival of National Guard troops.
At a news conference on Monday, Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said he received word that the Department of Homeland Security has asked the Defense Department for about 100 military personnel to help protect ICE agents and facilities in Illinois. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It came a day after dozens of armed federal immigration agents were seen patrolling and making arrests in downtown Chicago, member station WBEZ reported.
“This is an attack on neighborhoods, on lawful residents, on U.S. citizens,” Pritzker said on Monday. “That’s not preventing crime as Donald Trump claims, that’s threatening public safety.”
For weeks, President Trump has proposed sending troops to Chicago as part of a broader effort — he says — to address violent crime in various cities. The Illinois governor has warned that any Guard deployment would be met with immediate legal action.
Meanwhile, Memphis and Portland were preparing for Guard troops in the coming days. It comes as critics accuse Trump of testing the limits of presidential authority and the use of military force.
Memphis
There were no confirmed sightings of the Guard in Memphis on Monday.
On Friday, Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee said that agents from 13 U.S. agencies will begin to arrive this week, including from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
At the time, he did not disclose how many members of the Guard will be deployed, but the governor said troops will be in support roles and not tasked with making arrests. A website launched by the city government, said that Guard members will serve as extra “eyes and ears” to local law enforcement.
Portland, Ore.
Oregon officials expect it will take at least until Thursday to prepare the Guard for deployment.
On Monday, Oregon Military Department spokesperson Lt. Col. Stephen Bomar told NPR it will take a minimum of four days to go through “administrative processing.”
“During the administrative processes specific issues may be discovered, which may take longer,” Bomar wrote in an email. He gave the example that some Guard members’ training certificates could be expired or their medical screenings may need to be updated.
Trump on Saturday directed troops to be deployed to Portland, citing the need to safeguard ICE detention facilities against what he described as “domestic terrorists.” In previous remarks, the president raised concerns about protests that took place outside ICE facilities in Portland.
State and city leaders have since filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block the use of troops, calling the move “overreach” and “unlawful.”
About 200 members of the Guard were called into federal service for 60 days, according to a memo from the Defense Department to Oregon Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, member station OPB reported.
Leaders in Washington, D.C. and California have also lodged suits against the administration, challenging the use of federal troops in recent months.
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