National Guard troops poised to enter Chicago

Trump calls for jailing of Democratic leaders who have decried militarisation of their city

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Some 500 National Guard troops were deployed near Chicago on Oct 8 on US President Donald Trump’s orders despite the objections of the Chicago mayor and Illinois governor, who decried the militarisation of their city as an unnecessary provocation.

Mr Trump in turn called for the jailing of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, neither of whom has been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

Both have emerged as prominent opponents of Mr Trump’s immigration crackdown and deployment of National Guard troops in Democratic-leaning cities.

The National Guard said on Oct 8 roughly 200 soldiers from Texas and 300 from Illinois had gathered in the Chicago area, and were ready to protect federal personnel, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and federal property in the city.

While Trump administration officials have sounded the alarm over what they call lawless and violent protests in cities such as Chicago and Portland, Oregon, demonstrations over Mr Trump’s immigration policies have been largely peaceful and limited in size, far from the “war zone” conditions described by Mr Trump.

Several hundred people marched in downtown Chicago on the evening of Oct 8, protesting against the deployment of National Guard troops and reflecting increasing anger at the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign in the Chicago area.