Trump is sending the National Guard to Chicago, which looked like a "war zone". The governor of Illinois is talking about an "unconstitutional invasion". What is happening in the city, where many Bulgarians also live?
About three hundred soldiers from the US National Guard in Illinois were sent to Chicago - a decision approved by President Donald Trump. Several hundred more are expected to be transferred from Texas.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker called what is happening "an unconstitutional invasion by the federal government". The state of Illinois has already filed a lawsuit. A little earlier, the deployment of the National Guard to Oregon was stopped by another court. The deployment of military personnel from California to Oregon was also banned. According to the governor of Illinois, Trump took advantage of the Guard and used it as a political weapon in his attempts to militarize major cities in the United States.
For weeks, the American president has been threatening to send the Guard to Chicago, the largest city in the state of Illinois. Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson opposed this decision, as did their colleagues in other cities and states governed by politicians from the Democratic Party.
Is Chicago a war zone?
The National Guard in each state is under the control of the governor - in the event of war or an emergency, however, the president can take control of it. Trump claims that Chicago is like a war zone - it is worse there than almost any other city in the world. Trump also spoke in the same way about Los Angeles and Washington, where National Guard troops were also sent.
In fact, protests have been taking place in Chicago for weeks against the actions of the immigration authorities. Last week, agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided an apartment building in Chicago at night - some of the agents descended on the scene from helicopters. Witnesses say that children were also taken out of the building with their hands tied with pigtails. "This operation definitely has nothing to do with security or immigration - it is a demonstration of authoritarianism and tyranny," said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Chicago also has a large Bulgarian diaspora. The state of Illinois is home to the largest Bulgarian community in the United States.
Are immigration agents provoking the protests?
Critics claim that ICE agents are increasingly aggressive and seem to aim to provoke a backlash from the people. However, the Trump administration presents the demonstrations against immigration authorities as evidence of the need to send the National Guard - to protect ICE agents.
The mayor of Chicago has designated areas where immigration agents are prohibited from entering - schools, public parks, libraries. According to Johnson, the goal is to set some limits on the federal government, which is "out of control".
American media reports that soldiers from the Texas National Guard are already traveling to Illinois. At the same time, the court gave the Trump administration until Wednesday to respond to the lawsuit to stop sending the Guard to Chicago. A hearing on it is expected on Thursday.
Trump wants to trigger the 19th century Riot Act
The American president has already hinted many times that he may trigger the so-called Riot Act, which gives him the ability to send the army anywhere in the country. The idea is that this way the federal government can stop a "riot". Trump recently said that for now he does not think it is necessary to trigger this law, but that if necessary - he will do it. "If they are killing people and the courts, governors or mayors are trying to stop us, then, of course, I will do it," Trump said.
Increasingly, Trump himself and other people in the administration are using the word "riot" regarding protests in cities where they are sending in the National Guard or ICE agents. "We need to make our cities safer," he said. But his opponents believe these measures are doing the opposite.