Hundreds of National Guard troops from Texas have arrived at an army training centre outside Chicago to support US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Trump has branded Chicago a war zone, following recent protests against federal immigration officials in the third-largest US city.
The deployment comes amid opposition from local officials. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has accused the Trump administration of an authoritarian march and said the state would use every lever at our disposal to stop this power grab.
Sources told CBS News that some troops could begin their assignments as early as Wednesday.
Trailers have been set up as temporary living quarters at the Army Reserve Training Center about 50 miles (80km) south-west of Chicago, while fencing was erected around the facility late on Tuesday.
Local officials have noted they have received little information regarding troop assignments. Trump argues that the deployment is necessary to quell violence and support his deportation initiatives in Democratic-controlled cities.
While National Guard troops have limited power and do not enforce laws or make arrests, they are tasked with protecting federal officers and property.
The Trump administration has previously sent troops to Los Angeles and Washington, DC, and is planning deployments in Memphis and Portland, though a federal judge temporarily barred troops from deploying to Portland. Currently, a judge has allowed the deployment to Chicago.
Chicago has seen intensified protests over immigration enforcement, particularly near ICE facilities. Recently, a woman was shot and injured by US Border Patrol after an incident involving cars ramming into enforcement vehicles, with her lawyer contesting parts of the official account.
A hearing is scheduled for Thursday regarding a lawsuit filed by Illinois and Chicago that seeks to prevent the federalization of National Guard troops from Texas. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson labeled the deployment as illegal and unconstitutional, having signed an executive order banning ICE agents from operating on city-owned properties.
This situation raises significant legal and constitutional questions, given that National Guard troops are typically deployed by state governors, and century-old laws restrict military involvement in domestic affairs.
Trump has suggested he may invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow the use of active-duty military for law enforcement, if judicial interventions impede troop deployments. On Tuesday, he expressed his determination to take control in Chicago, stating, if the governor can't do the job, we'll do the job.
