CHICAGO: US President Donald Trump has authorised the deployment of troops to Chicago following a federal agent shooting an allegedly armed motorist.
A federal judge simultaneously blocked the Republican leader’s attempt to send military forces into Portland, creating dual legal and political confrontations.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson confirmed 300 National Guardsmen would protect federal officers and assets in Chicago against local opposition.
“President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities,“ Jackson stated in an official White House declaration.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin condemned the military deployment as a shameful chapter in American history driven by fear rather than crime prevention.
The escalating crisis represents Trump’s increasingly militarised anti-crime and migration crackdown facing Democratic accusations of authoritarian power grabs.
Chicago and Portland become the latest flashpoints following previous troop deployments to Los Angeles and Washington.
Federal raids featuring masked, armed men in unmarked vehicles have targeted residential neighbourhoods and businesses, sparking widespread protests.
US District Judge Karin Immergut blocked Portland deployment, ruling the President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.
Immergut found Portland protests didn’t constitute rebellion and regular law enforcement could handle incidents without military intervention.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden celebrated the judicial victory supporting Oregonians’ rejection of federal troop provocations.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller denounced the ruling as legal insurrection and accused Oregon leaders of terrorism.
The Chicago shooting occurred during Operation Midway Blitz when federal agents reported being boxed in by 10 vehicles.
Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said agents fired defensive shots at an armed motorist after exiting immobilised vehicles.
Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt confirmed the wounded motorist reached hospital in fair condition despite DHS claims she drove herself.
McLaughlin accused Chicago police of abandoning the shooting scene and refusing assistance, which police denied through Fox 32.
Protesters chanting “ICE go home!” faced tear gas and pepper balls before dispersing when federal agents vacated the area.
This marks the second shooting under Operation Midway Blitz following September’s fatal ICE shooting of immigrant Silverio Villegas Gozalez. – AFP