US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, Illinois, to ensure the safety of federal agents, White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson announced.
“Amid ongoing violent unrest and lawlessness that local leaders like Democratic Gov. Jay Robert Pritzker have refused to address, President Trump has authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to protect federal employees and property,“ she was quoted as saying by Politico.
“President Trump will not turn a blind eye to lawlessness ravaging American cities cities“, she added.
Earlier, the spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin reported that US federal law enforcement officers were attacked by armed men during an operation against illegal immigrants in Chicago and were forced to open fire. A woman armed with a semi-automatic weapon was injured. The spokeswoman also noted that the Chicago police refused to cooperate with federal agents.
In September, Trump announced that National Guard troops would be deployed to Chicago, the largest city in Illinois, but did not specify when exactly they would be deployed. Trump has repeatedly criticized the Illinois governor for not ensuring security in Chicago. According to the American leader, the city has become a “hellhole“ due to the appalling level of crime. Pritzker, in turn, claims that Trump considers himself a dictator and is threatening war on the American city.