President Donald Trump has intensified threats to send National Guard troops and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Chicago, following similar deployments to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The White House says the move is needed to curb violent crime in the nation’s third-largest city, which the president has repeatedly called a “disaster.” Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on Thursday branded any unilateral deployment “unconstitutional and un-American,” arguing the president lacks authority to federalize the Illinois Guard without state consent. Pritzker said “action will be met with a response” and has instructed Attorney General Kwame Raoul to ready a legal challenge. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is working with the governor and other Democratic leaders on a coordinated response. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said his officers will not assist ICE raids or ask residents about immigration status but also will not obstruct federal personnel. Community organizations are expanding legal aid for immigrants, while protest groups pledge non-violent demonstrations if troops arrive. City data complicate the administration’s portrayal of a crime emergency. Chicago recorded 1,229 shootings this year through Aug. 25, yet fatal shootings fell 36 percent from the same period in 2024, and overall violent crime declined 22 percent in the first half of 2025. The July homicide rate of 1.66 per 100,000 residents is below that of Washington, New Orleans and Kansas City. Legal experts, including University of Chicago professor Craig Futterman, say deploying the Guard without a formal state request could violate the Constitution and the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which limits military involvement in domestic law enforcement. A similar order covering Los Angeles is already being litigated, underscoring the uncertain legal path if federal troops are sent to Chicago.