WP: Pentagon prepares to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago

The U.S. Department of Defense plans to deploy several thousand National Guard troops to Chicago in September, The Washington Post reports, citing sources familiar with the situation.

According to the publication, preparations for the operation have been underway for several weeks. One of the sources noted that a similar model could be applied in other major cities — to combat crime, homelessness, and illegal migration.

Chicago, the third most populous city in the United States, may host National Guard units as early as September.

On August 22, 2025, Trump identified Chicago as a likely next target for his administration’s crime crackdown, calling the city “a mess” and criticising its Democratic mayor, Brandon Johnson. He suggested Chicago would follow Washington, D.C., where 1,900–2,279 National Guard troops from multiple states were deployed by August 2025, and Los Angeles, where 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines were sent in June 2025.

By Khagan Isayev