Behind the Lines: Chicago Divided on Trump's National Guard Proposal

Sat Sep 13 2025 23:07:34 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As Chicago balances crime and community response, President Trump's intention to send National Guard troops divides residents. Local leaders claim they are already the answer to violence in their neighborhoods.

In the wake of violence over the Labor Day weekend, President Trump has announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, a move that stirs up mixed reactions within the city. Community leaders argue that local initiatives, not military presence, are essential in combating crime. Meanwhile, government officials criticize the proposal as unnecessary and counterproductive, highlighting a deeper divide in combating urban violence.

In the South Side of Chicago, few people seemed braced for President Donald Trump's troops. But many here would tell you about another battle - one for the souls of the young.

We drove through neighborhoods notorious for their levels of violent crime. In one, Bronzeville, we went to the spot where seven people were shot and wounded in a drive-by attack last weekend. It was a block from Chicago Police HQ. The casualties were among at least 58 people shot, eight fatally, across the city over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Rob White, a coach to young men trying to reverse their slide into gangs, told us: You can imagine how the residents feel like with this [stuff] happening right up under their nose, referring to the attack that took place close to a giant, fortified police building.

On Friday, Trump said he had decided on another US city where he planned to deploy National Guard troops in what he said would be a bid to help combat crime - without revealing the location.

But Mr White's colleague, Kanoya Ali, countered Trump's assertion. The outcome [a drop in crime] is already happening, said Mr Ali. The troops are already here. We are the troops.

The Labor Day crime numbers were cited by Trump earlier this week as part of his threat to militarise Chicago. He told reporters the National Guard would be going in to tackle what he called out of control crime. It followed similar moves recently in Los Angeles and Washington DC. In Chicago, the Democrat-run city and state authorities have vowed to resist deployment by what Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called an unhinged president.

Violent crime in Chicago has in fact fallen significantly over the past two years. Between January and June, the homicide rate was down by a third compared with the same period last year, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.

However, the overall levels in Chicago remain substantially higher than the average for many US cities.

Mr White spoke passionately about the need for community-led efforts rather than military solutions, stating, Having the militia come in is not going to be the answer to this problem, right? His sentiments are echoed by many in neighborhoods like Canaryville, where residents feel the urgent need for effective crime prevention rather than military intervention.

As community discussions unfold, it becomes evident that the road to resolution is complicated, with divisions palpable among the city's residents regarding what truly constitutes an effective response to crime. The outcome of this proposed deployment remains uncertain, but the voices calling for local leadership in solving these issues continue to rise amid the turmoil.