Overview

• The Washington Post reports planning to mobilize several thousand National Guard members to Chicago as early as September, though the Pentagon declined to confirm.
• The Army said more than 2,200 Guard personnel deployed in Washington are now authorized to carry service weapons, with force permitted only as a last resort.
• President Trump has signaled Chicago could be next and has threatened similar actions in New York and Baltimore, drawing denunciations from local leaders.
• House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries says Trump has no legal basis to send troops to Chicago, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore vow to resist.
• The push follows a June deployment to Los Angeles, relies heavily on units from Republican-led states in Washington, and comes as Chicago’s 2024 homicides fell 8% to 573.