Federal agents monitor protesters gathered outside the ICE facility on September 28 in Portland, Oregon.
Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images North America
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Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images North America
Chicago is preparing for a potential deployment of the National Guard, while both Memphis and Portland, Oregon, are gearing up for the arrival of Guard troops in the near future.
During a press briefing on Monday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, revealed that the Department of Homeland Security has requested approximately 100 military personnel from the Defense Department to assist in safeguarding ICE agents and their facilities within Illinois. DHS has yet to provide an official statement regarding this request.
This announcement followed reports from member station WBEZ that numerous armed federal immigration officers were seen conducting patrols and making arrests in downtown Chicago just a day earlier.
“This action targets communities, law-abiding residents, and American citizens,” Governor Pritzker stated on Monday. “Contrary to Donald Trump’s claims of crime prevention, this approach endangers public safety.”
For several weeks, President Trump has advocated for deploying troops to Chicago as part of a wider initiative aimed at curbing violent crime in multiple cities. The Illinois governor has cautioned that any National Guard deployment would face immediate legal challenges.
Simultaneously, preparations are underway in Memphis and Portland for the arrival of Guard forces. Critics argue that President Trump is pushing the boundaries of presidential power and the military’s role in domestic affairs.
Memphis
As of Monday, there have been no confirmed reports of National Guard presence in Memphis.
Last Friday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, announced that personnel from 13 federal agencies-including the FBI, DEA, and ATF-would begin arriving this week.
The governor did not specify the number of Guard members to be deployed but emphasized that their role would be supportive rather than involving direct law enforcement actions. A city government website described the Guard’s function as providing additional “eyes and ears” to assist local police.
Portland, Oregon
Officials in Oregon anticipate that it will take at least until Thursday to complete preparations for the Guard’s deployment.
On Monday, Lt. Col. Stephen Bomar, spokesperson for the Oregon Military Department, informed NPR that the administrative processing alone requires a minimum of four days.
“During these administrative steps, unforeseen issues may arise that could extend the timeline,” Bomar explained via email. He cited examples such as expired training certifications or the need for updated medical evaluations among Guard members.
President Trump ordered the deployment of troops to Portland on Saturday, citing the necessity to protect ICE detention centers from what he labeled as “domestic terrorists.” Previously, the president expressed concerns about protests occurring outside ICE facilities in the city.
In response, state and municipal officials have initiated legal action against the Trump administration to prevent the deployment, describing it as an “overreach” and a violation of the law.
According to a Defense Department memo shared with Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, a Democrat, approximately 200 Guard members have been federalized for a 60-day period, as reported by member station OPB.
Additionally, leaders in Washington, D.C., and California have filed lawsuits challenging the federal government’s use of military forces in recent months.
