Chicagoans say they are split over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to the city, with some fearing racism and others welcoming a crackdown on crime.
Protests erupted across Chicago and its suburbs as federal immigration agents and demonstrators clashed, prompting a heavy police presence and the temporary deployment of tear gas.
Residents expressed contrasting views on the National Guard and ICE operations.
Kevin Guano, a 20-year-old Ecuadorian immigrant, called the deployment “racist,” saying Chicago has a long history as an immigrant city and criticised propaganda framing immigrants as harmful.
“So what I think is that it's terrible. I've been here like five months. I'm new in this city. I love the country. I love this city, I love that Chicago style. But I think that Trump is not (making) a good decision, because I've been learning the history of the country. And I know that Chicago is like an immigrant city, it’s been like that. So, it's something contradictory to say or make propaganda about ‘the immigrants are bad’ or ‘they are destroying our country’. So, it is a little ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, longtime resident Joannie Pittman, 63, said she welcomed the presence of federal troops, citing high levels of local violence in neighbourhoods and downtown areas.
“I think of ICE as the President Trump way of cleaning up and, you know, giving the citizens, the people that's here that want to be here a chance to get in because they got so much connection, they're throwing us away. You know, they take us forever just to get one thing, and they just get everything. That's what I feel, but some of them are nice because they live in our area."
Illinois filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to block the Trump administration from sending hundreds of federalised National Guard troops into Chicago. The state argues the president has exceeded his authority under federal law, including the Posse Comitatus Act, and infringed upon state control over the National Guard and local law enforcement.
The legal challenge follows similar lawsuits in other Democratic-led states over Trump’s deployment of military forces to cities like Portland, Oregon, and highlights growing tensions over the use of federal troops to enforce immigration policy and suppress protests.
The White House maintains the deployment is necessary to protect federal employees amid ongoing demonstrations.
As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters another critical stage, millions of low-income Americans face the possibility of losing their Supplemen...
Egypt has inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Great Pyramid of Giza, unveiling the world’s largest archaeological museum and a modern cul...
Two men accused of stealing €88 million worth of jewels from Paris’ Louvre Museum have been charged and remanded in custody, as investigators cont...
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to visit Washington for discussions on Syria’s possible role in the U.S.-led coalition against IS....
Armenia will offer Azerbaijani as an optional subject for 10-12th grade students in three schools from the 2025/2026 academic year as part of a state ...
Hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers gathered on Tuesday at an Army facility outside Chicago, as Donald Trump's threat to invoke an anti-insurrection law and deploy troops to more U.S. cities intensified the battle over the limits to his authority.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a man Friday in Franklin Park, Illinois, after the suspect drove his car at law enforcement and dragged an officer, federal authorities said.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Chicago will soon face increased deportations, following his controversial renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to be armed, as the Trump administration continues its controversial crime crackdown in the capital.
Reports from CNN say the Pentagon has approved the provision of long range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine after assessing its impact on U.S. stockpiles, while leaving the ultimate decision to President Trump.
Tanzanian police fired tear gas and live rounds on Thursday to disperse protesters in Dar es Salaam and other cities, a day after a disputed election marked by violence and claims of political repression, witnesses said.
Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine's energy infrastructure and other targets, forcing nationwide power restrictions and killing seven people, including a seven-year-old girl, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
The U.S. State Department has ordered the departure of all non-emergency personnel and their family members from Mali, citing escalating security risks as al Qaeda-linked insurgents tighten a fuel blockade on the country.
Torrential rain battered New York on Thursday, leaving two people dead, Mayor Eric Adams confirmed, as severe storms disrupted flights and prompted flood warnings across parts of the city.
A man and a woman were killed and several others injured in a shooting on the Greek island of Crete on Saturday, in what police officials described as a family vendetta, reviving memories of the island’s long and complex history of inter-family violence.
As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters another critical stage, millions of low-income Americans face the possibility of losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Two men accused of stealing €88 million worth of jewels from Paris’ Louvre Museum have been charged and remanded in custody, as investigators continue to search for the missing treasures.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Serbia’s second-largest city on Saturday, marking one year since a railway station roof collapse killed 16 people, a tragedy that has fuelled public outrage over alleged corruption and lack of accountability.
Members of a U.S. congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case have stepped up pressure on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to answer questions about his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender, the BBC reported on Saturday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment