Khaberni - A US military official reported on Tuesday that 200 National Guard members arrived near Chicago, preparing to deploy in the city following orders from US President Donald Trump despite opposition from local Democratic authorities to this action.
Trump, who described the major northern city as a "war zone," wants to implement the same solution he has applied in other cities controlled by his Democratic opponents, namely deploying military forces on the streets, a very rare measure in the United States.
On Tuesday, a Pentagon official, asking not to be named, said that the mission of these reservists coming from Texas is to protect "procedures, agents, and federal government properties" for an "initial period of 60 days."
The Republican president authorized the deployment of 700 National Guard members in Chicago at the end of the week, a decision that irked local Democratic officials who turned to the courts to prevent the White House from executing this move.
Chicago is the fifth city under Democratic leadership where the US president has ordered the deployment of the National Guard, a measure previously taken under exceptional circumstances.
Trump deployed the National Guard in recent months in Los Angeles, Washington, and Memphis, despite opposition from local officials.
The US president considered that his decision allowed for the "cleansing" of the federal capital.
In Portland, a federal judge temporarily suspended the deployment of the National Guard on Saturday.
For months, there have been protests in this large city in the northwest of the United States, protesting against immigration police operations.
Trump places combating illegal immigration at the heart of his presidential priorities, repeatedly denouncing an "invasion" of the United States by "criminals coming from abroad."
The mission of the National Guard members, who are army reservists, is to intervene in times of natural disasters, but they may also be sent to fight abroad.
