CHICAGO — On Saturday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order seeking to protect residents from the potential mobilization of National Guard troops in Chicago and demanding that President Trump stand down on his threats to send in troops to help crack down on crime and immigration.
Johnson signed an executive order establishing the "Protecting Chicago" initiative, a cross-departmental directive that his office says will work to protect the constitutional rights of Chicagoans, amid the potential deployment of troops to the Windy City.
The signing took place at 12 p.m. Saturday.
According to the mayor’s office, the order demands that President Trump stand down from threats to deploy troops in Chicago, and affirms that the Chicago Police Department will remain a locally controlled agency.
The initiative, which will also establish campaigns to inform residents in the city about their rights, will utilize legal action in an effort to prevent "any attempts to systematically violate the rights of Chicagoans."
"The City of Chicago will do everything in our power to defend our democracy and protect our communities," the mayor said. "With this executive order, we send a resounding message to the federal government: we do not need nor want an unconstitutional and illegal military occupation of our city. We do not want military checkpoints or armored vehicles on our streets and we do not want to see families ripped apart. We will take any action necessary to protect the rights of all Chicagoans. Protecting Chicago is the next step in the work we have been doing to defend our city from federal overreach and illegal action."
It is the latest effort by Johnson to halt any attempts by the president to mobilize troops in the city, something Trump signaled could be a possibility in recent weeks.
City and state leaders have stood together denouncing any potential plans to bring troops to Chicago, describing the effort as a military operation of fear and division.
They say that the Trump administration’s crackdown to address crime in Chicago and neighboring communities should be handled differently and deployed in a way that builds trust, not fear.
Concerns regarding the next steps grew this week after it was confirmed that federal immigration agents would be present at Naval Station Great Lakes, which is a major US Navy training installation in North Chicago.
The Trump administration has not released specific details about its plans for Chicago and the surrounding areas, but on Friday, the Associated Press reported that an operation that could start as early as Sept. 5, would last about 30 days, a Department of Homeland Security official confirmed.
Another U.S. official said the timing for what could be a sustained immigration enforcement effort resembling this summer’s operations in Los Angeles is awaiting final approval.
Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not been made public.
Johnson spoke to reporters after signing the executive order. His comments can be viewed in the video player at the top of this story.
News,Region: Chicago,City: Chicago
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August 30, 2025 at 01:00PM
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