Delphine Cherry knows as well as anyone how intractable violent crime is in Chicago. In 1992, her teenage daughter was gunned down in one of the city's tawniest neighborhoods — a bystander caught up in a gang shootout. Twenty years later, in a suburb just south of the city, it claimed her son.
You don’t think it’s going to happen twice in your life, she said.
Chicago has been bracing for weeks for President Donald Trump’s promised deployment of National Guard troops to the nation’s third-largest city. Although Trump described the move as an effort to combat crime in a city he labeled a hellhole, his administration has been tight-lipped about the operation's details, including its starting date, duration, number of troops involved, and their specific roles in civilian law enforcement.
Trump has also been inconsistent about sending troops to Chicago, sometimes insisting on unilateral action, while at other times suggesting alternatives like New Orleans. Recently, he remarked that Chicago is probably next after Memphis.
Despite having one of the highest rates of gun violence among major U.S. cities, Chicago's officials overwhelmingly oppose the proposed operation, denouncing it as political theater. Even those directly impacted by violence, such as families who have lost loved ones, question how troop presence would fundamentally change the crime landscape.
Previous National Guard Deployments as Precedents
With deployment plans for Chicago uncertain, past uses of National Guard troops in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., might provide insight. In Los Angeles, troops were deployed amid protests over Trump's immigration actions, initially guarding federal property but later providing security during immigration raids. In Washington, the troops assisted in patrolling and were even involved in non-enforcement activities like picking up trash.
Reports showed over 2,100 arrests in D.C. following Trump's federal force mobilization, and Mayor Muriel Bowser noted a drop in crime. However, an unusual number of dropped cases raised concerns about the judicial process.
Local Leaders Call for Community Investment Instead
While the Trump administration's plans for Chicago's troops remain vague, more federal agents focusing on immigration enforcement are promised. Critics like Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker advocate for increased federal funding for prevention programs, emphasizing a drop in crime rates and highlighting the ineffectiveness of military intervention.
Amid harsh realities, the discourse has shifted towards community solutions over militarization, with advocates emphasizing the need for understanding and investing in local resources to effectively confront violence in underserved neighborhoods.
Voices of Survivors and Advocates
Delphine Cherry, now an anti-violence advocate, believes that military presence could increase danger rather than provide safety. Similarly, Trevon Bosley, a survivor of violent crime, stresses the importance of community support and resource allocation to heal neighborhoods. He asserts, It’s not like we have a police shortage. The National Guard and police show up after a shooting has occurred. They don’t show up before. That’s not stopping or saving anyone.
