State Governor Considers Military Deployment in Response to Immigration Enforcement in Major City
The sight of masked and armed immigration enforcers in the heart of one of the country's biggest cities has sparked heightened worry among residents about increasing federal intervention. Consequently, the state's leaders have hinted at the possible deployment of the National Guard.
Over the past weekend, the city witnessed an aggressive increase in immigration enforcement, which has been met with a mix of anger, fear, and renewed accusations of discrimination. "It looks out of place," commented a city official who represents the city center.
Meanwhile, cities in Tennessee and Oregon are also preparing for a potential surge in federal law enforcement, while the governor of Louisiana has requested National Guard assistance in New Orleans and other cities.
The national leader has defended the spread of immigration officials and National Guard soldiers in cities across the country, blaming opposition party members for crime and relaxed immigration policies. Amid a crime crackdown in the nation's capital and enhanced immigration enforcement in California, he has characterized Portland as "battle-scarred" and threatened to use overwhelming force in Chicago.
Whether the action happens within the city or the suburbs, it makes no difference to us," stated an immigration enforcement officer in Chicago.
Rising Concerns About Racial Profiling
Residents of Chicago were already on edge following the start of an immigration crackdown earlier this month. The enforcement has primarily targeted areas with high immigrant and Latino populations.
The national leader has been unclear about whether he would send in the military, but the state's Democratic Governor indicated on Monday that it seemed the federal government would deploy around 100 troops. The governor stated that the state's National Guard had received a memo from the Department of Homeland Security requesting the Defense Department to send troops to protect immigration enforcement personnel and facilities.
An immigration processing center outside of Chicago has been a frequent site of protests and aggressive tactics by federal officers. Enforcement has recently ramped up, with officers using boats on the city's river and marching in upscale neighborhoods on Sunday.
City leaders and activists are worried about discriminatory stops, especially after the nation's highest court removed restrictions on roving patrols in Los Angeles. The court's decision allows immigration agents to stop people based on their race, language, job, or location.
"Immigration enforcement is running around the Loop, harassing people for not being white," said the Governor, referring to the city's central business district.
Activists reported a Latino family of four was taken away by federal agents near a popular city sculpture. Construction workers and bicyclists were also targeted.
"The operation in downtown, where people are racially profiled and taken by immigration in broad daylight, represents a major escalation," commented an advocate with a local immigration and refugee rights organization.
City Residents' Reactions
As immigration enforcement officers marched near downtown, some bystanders voiced approval while others protested their presence. One local woman, a first-generation American in her family of Honduran immigrants, left her birthday celebration to confront the officers, stating, "This is much more important to me."
Meanwhile, in Oregon, the Democratic Attorney General filed a motion in federal court seeking to temporarily block the deployment of the National Guard, as part of a lawsuit filed after state leaders received a Defense Department memo indicating 200 National Guard members would be placed under federal control.
Leaders in Memphis, Tennessee, found themselves in a state of suspense as they awaited the start of a planned federal law enforcement surge to combat crime. No immediate reports of large-scale federal law enforcement operations were made, but residents, including Latinos, expressed concerns that immigration agents would detain people irrespective of their immigration status.
The governor of Louisiana requested a National Guard deployment to New Orleans and other cities to help combat crime, citing elevated violent crime rates and shortages in local law enforcement. However, some of the state's biggest cities have actually seen a recent decrease in crime.