Opposing the Military Occupation of Chicago
Dear Northwest Side Neighbor,
We, Indivisible Chicago Northwest, and elected leaders representing the Northwest Side, unequivocally oppose the Trump administration’s threats to mobilize and deploy the National Guard and active-duty military to Chicago.
This is an alarming attack on states’ rights and an insult to the will of our local governments and residents, bringing extreme risk and fear to our immigrant and homeless communities in particular.
We are a nation of laws, and the law is clear: the U.S. military cannot be used for domestic law enforcement purposes (Posse Comitatus Act of 1878). Federal law outlines extremely limited instances in which the President may deploy National Guard members—specifically, in response to an invasion, insurrection, or when the President is unable to enforce federal law through conventional means—none of which apply to Chicago (10U.S.C.§12406).
Contrary to Trump’s characterization of Chicago, the city has seen a historic drop in crime. In the first half of 2025:
Violent crimes fell by 22%
Shootings fell by 37%
Carjackings fell by 49%
This strong downward trend is the result of evidence-based initiatives, such as:
The Reimagine Public Safety Act’s $250 million investment in trauma-informed, evidence-based programs to reduce gun violence.
Chicago’s Peacekeeper Program, which trains residents to mediate and de-escalate conflicts, has resulted in a 41% reduction in gun violence in targeted neighborhoods.
Chicago’s police community partnerships, including CNPI (Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative), CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy), and the formation of District Advisory Committees (DACs) and District Coordination Officers (DCOs) - whose job is to foster dialogue and build long-term partnerships with community stakeholders, city agencies, and residents to reduce and ultimately prevent crime.
Regardless, local crime prevention is not a federal responsibility, and military personnel are not trained to carry out local law enforcement in our communities. Furthermore, we stand firmly behind the bipartisan Illinois Trust Act of 2017 and the Illinois Way Forward Act of 2021, which, in part, aim to ensure that immigrant communities can trust and rely on local law enforcement while prioritizing law enforcement resources for public safety.
If the Trump Administration genuinely cared about reducing crime, it could unfreeze the $158 million intended for funding violence prevention programs in cities like Chicago, lower the costs of everyday goods impacted by tariffs, and halt the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
We will work across State, County, and local government to take every action to protect our citizens and legally oppose any unlawful military deployment seeking to erode our democracy.
Signed,
| Delia Ramirez | Congresswoman |
| Graciela Guzman | IL State Senator, 20th District |
| Rossana Rodriguez | Alderperson, 33rd Ward |
| Jessie Fuentes | Alderperson, 26th Ward |
| Will Guzzardi | IL State Representative, 39th District |
| Lindsey LaPointe | IL State Representative, 19th District |
| Ruth Cruz | Alderperson, 30th Ward |
| Jessica Vasquez | Cook Cty. Commissioner, 8th District |
| Fritz Kaegi | Cook County Assessor |
| Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. | IL State Representative, 40th Distrcit |
| Bridget Degnen | Cook Cty. Commissioner, 12th District |
| Ram Villivalam | IL State Senator, 8th District |
| Daniel La Spata | Alderperson, 1st Ward |
| Eva-Dina Delgado | IL State Representative, 3rd District |
| Kevin Naglich | Founder, Indivisible Chicago Northwest |