Overview

• The president declared, “We’re going in,” but gave no timing and suggested federal agents could be part of the operation, also pointing to Baltimore as a likely target.
• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson rejected the plan, said they will not request troops, and prepared to challenge any deployment in court.
• A federal judge, Charles Breyer, ruled the earlier Los Angeles deployment unlawful under the Posse Comitatus Act, creating a fresh legal constraint on unilateral troop use.
• Chicago and Illinois officials have moved to limit cooperation with federal operations, with a mayoral executive order in place and the state attorney general pledging to sue once actions begin.
• The White House cites its Washington, D.C., crackdown as a template after a violent holiday weekend in Chicago, while city data show homicides and shootings are down year to date and officials report ICE and DHS surges are being readied.