Chicago, August 31(HS): Mayor Brandon Johnson has enacted the Protecting Chicago Initiative, an executive order aimed at resisting President Donald Trump's threatened militarized immigration enforcement and troop deployment in the city. Citing credible reports of possible National Guard, active-duty military, and armed vehicle presence on Chicago streets, Johnson vowed the city's police will not cooperate with federal forces and will refuse any role in immigration patrols or raids. The order demands federal forces stand down and prohibits city officers from assisting federal immigration enforcement, while reinforcing local rules requiring police to wear body cameras and visible identification.

Mayor Johnson criticized the prospect of a military occupation as unconstitutional and unnecessary, assuring Chicagoans their rights will be defended and pledging support for immigrant communities, who make up over one-fifth of residents. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned Trump's actions as a politicized abuse of power amid escalating federal-state tensions on crime and immigration policies. The White House dismissed Johnson's order as a publicity stunt, framing the issue as a partisan distraction from crime-fighting efforts.

The move follows Trump's previous deployment of thousands of troops to Washington, D.C., and signals a growing clash between the Biden administration's hardline immigration crackdown plans and resistance from progressive city officials in America’s major urban centers. Chicago stands firm against what it calls an overreach that threatens civil liberties and community trust.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar