CHICAGO — With a possible federal troop deployment looming, city officials and the Chicago Police Department are preparing a response plan forged during last year’s Democratic National Convention.
Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters Thursday that the Trump administration has not communicated any information about if or when National Guard troops might be sent to Chicago, so city officials are relying on the playbook they used to prepare for the convention that brought in some 50,000 people, including protesters.
President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy federal troops in Chicago to fight crime, a move that has drawn criticism from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democratic leaders in this blue state.
“We’re preparing to make sure that we have the manpower in place,” said Police Superintendent Larry Snelling. “We’ve done this work through the DNC. The preparation is to make sure that all our officers are aware of the welcoming city ordinance, which we’ve done some extensive training around,” he said, referring to the city rule that prohibits city employees from enforcing federal immigration laws.
Missing from their action plan so far is communication with the federal government on reported plans to bring the National Guard to Chicago, acknowledged Johnson and Snelling.
They spoke to reporters to allay concerns of Chicago residents about how a federal troop deployment might play out. They pointed to the DNC, which included large but peaceful protests, few arrests and little violence.
When asked about how CPD would interact with the National Guard if deployed, Snelling said they are working on being prepared but hope for more from D.C.
“Communication between CPD and the National Guard would be most helpful because that’s where we could find balance,” Snelling said.
Without that, the police superintendent added, he’s been in contact with police in Washington, D.C., about the deployment there in an effort to understand “how they worked with the National Guard.”
The mayor’s top aides for homelessness, immigrant rights and public safety also joined Johnson and Snelling and reiterated the city’s position that Chicago police would not assist in immigration enforcement.
The city of Chicago, like the rest of Illinois, adheres to the Illinois TRUST Act, which prevents local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement activities unless federal officials have a warrant. The goal of the law is to foster trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement. Chicago is among the most diverse cities in the country, with a population split almost evenly between Black, Latino and white residents, and it has a large and growing Asian population.
On Wednesday, officials at the Naval Station Great Lakes, north of Chicago, said it “has been approached by the Department of Homeland Security regarding a potential request to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.”
A Great Lakes spokesperson said “no decisions have been made” about the plan that would include the naval base making its facilities available.