In a major escalation of his unchecked abuse of power, U.S. president Donald Trump hailed the use of military force to police U.S. cities, telling generals and admirals it is important to quell “the enemy within.”
This article documents the wave of protests in Chicago and its suburbs in September 2025 opposing stepped-up immigration raids and deportations and the Trump administration’s threats to deploy National Guard troops in this city. The protests, led by trade unions and community groups, prompted the White House to step back from deploying military forces here, at least for now.