Following weeks of threats and warnings that Chicago could be the next US city to see National Guard troops rolling through its streets, comments from leaders over the last several days leave it unclear whether action is imminent.
No one from the Trump administration has informed the state of their plans, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said on Wednesday, but he said officials are hearing the National Guard will be in place by Friday and ready to take action on Saturday.
While President Donald Trump has made critical statements about the city and how it plans to handle crime, conflicting statements from the administration have not clarified the timing or terms of any deployment of federal troops to the city.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters Wednesday there are “no immediate plans” to send soldiers to Chicago, following comments from Trump Tuesday saying the administration was “going in” without specifying a timeline for action.
Even as they denounce it, local and state politicians are working to figure out how to respond to the possible action, or whether they can prevent it.
