‘Chicago is a war zone’: Trump administration declares US cities as battle field; deploys national guard

The on Sunday described as a "war zone" as it authorised the deployment of to the city - despite firm opposition from local Democratic leaders. The move came amid mounting criticism that US President Donald Trump is using law enforcement and military powers to assert political control over Democrat-run cities.

Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem, defending the deployment on Fox News, said, “Chicago is a war zone.” The statement followed Trump’s late Saturday order to send 300 national guard troops to the city, a decision opposed by Illinois governor JB Pritzker and other elected officials, reported AFP.



In response, Pritzker accused Republicans of creating chaos as a pretext for increased federal intervention. “They want to create the war zone, so that they can send in even more troops,” he said on CNN’s state of the union. “They need to get the heck out,” as quoted by the agency.

The clash highlights a growing political divide over law enforcement and migration policy, with Trump repeatedly invoking the need for stronger action in cities he describes as lawless. Last week, he vowed to combat what he called a “war from within.”

However, his plan to extend troop deployments hit a legal hurdle. In Portland, Oregon, a federal court temporarily blocked the deployment of troops, calling the administration’s justification legally baseless.

US district judge Karin Immergut ruled that the violence in Portland did not amount to an organised rebellion. “This is a nation of constitutional law, not martial law,” she wrote, stating that the president’s decision was “untethered to the facts.”

Despite scattered attacks on federal property in Portland, the court found no evidence to justify treating the situation as an insurrection under federal law.

Meanwhile, house speaker Mike Johnson, a key Trump ally, described Washington DC as a “literal war zone,” echoing the administration’s rhetoric.

The situation in Chicago also escalated over the weekend. According to the department of homeland security, a federal officer shot a motorist who allegedly rammed into a patrol vehicle. In a separate incident, ICE officers shot and killed 38-year-old immigrant Silverio Villegas Gonzalez during a traffic stop on September 12. DHS claimed the individual tried to flee and dragged an officer with his car.

The Trump administration has expanded the role of immigration and customs enforcement (ICE), with recent raids - often in unmarked vehicles - sparking protests in several Democratic-controlled cities.

A CBS News poll released on Sunday showed that 58 per cent of Americans oppose the use of national guard troops in cities, while 42 per cent support the move.

Despite legal and political opposition, the White House signalled no intent to back down. Trump aide Stephen Miller described the Portland court ruling as a “legal insurrection.”