Chicago Divided as Trump Weighs National Guard Deployment
Chicago is once again in the spotlight, this time because of President Donald Trump’s threat to send in the National Guard. The city has long struggled with violent crime, but the idea of troops patrolling its streets has left residents sharply divided. On one side, some community leaders insist that real change is already happening from within. On the other, some neighborhoods welcome the thought of military presence, hoping it will restore a sense of order.
In Chicago’s South Side, the conversation isn’t about soldiers but about saving young lives. Drive through neighborhoods like Bronzeville, and it becomes clear why. Just last weekend, seven people were wounded in a drive-by shooting only a block away from police headquarters. That was part of a staggering toll — 58 people shot, eight killed — over the Labor Day weekend. For Rob White, a local coach working with young men to steer them away from gangs, these numbers show the depth of the struggle. He pointed to the violence happening so close to a fortified police building and asked how residents could feel safe under such conditions.
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Trump has argued that the city’s crime is “out of control” and has vowed that the Guard would be “going in.” But Illinois officials, including Governor JB Pritzker, have pushed back strongly, calling the move an abuse of power. They also note that homicides have actually dropped by a third compared with last year. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling emphasized that while extra officers would help, the Guard cannot arrest or police neighborhoods in the way the city force can. Any deployment would require serious coordination, and even then, it might not address the root causes.
For people like White and his colleague Kanoya Ali, the solution lies in community work, not militarization. “The troops are already here,” Ali said, referring to the mentors and programs fighting to change lives. Inside a makeshift classroom, White asked young men how many had been to jail, or even shot. Many hands went up, showing the reality behind the statistics. He was clear: soldiers on the streets would not fix this.
Yet in neighborhoods like Canaryville, the mood shifts. Flags supporting police wave from fences, and residents like Tom Stack openly say they “can’t wait” for the Guard to arrive. To them, crime feels overwhelming, and Trump’s promise sounds like common sense.
Meanwhile, another fear looms in Chicago’s Latino community. In Little Village, where preparations were underway for Mexican Independence Day, anxiety about immigration raids has grown. Workers on strike are demanding guarantees they won’t face sudden ICE sweeps. Organizers even postponed El Grito, the city’s official celebration, saying the risk to community safety was too great.
So Chicago sits at a crossroads — between those who see healing through mentorship and programs, and those who believe only force can turn the tide. Trump’s plan has not yet been finalized, but the debate it sparked has already revealed just how divided the city feels about what security and safety really mean.
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