The Department of Homeland Security has formally asked the Pentagon to provide support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal operations at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois. A memo described the request as critical to ensuring secure detention, processing, and removal of immigrants in the Chicago area, citing the base’s infrastructure, highway access, fuel, and logistics.
The move follows President Trump’s executive orders on border security and the military’s role in protecting territorial integrity. The administration has previously floated the idea of using a Chicago-area military base to bolster immigration enforcement.
Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have opposed the use of federal forces for immigration or crime response. But many residents in Chicago have spoken out against the influx of immigrants, staging protests as buses of new arrivals were sent to the city during the Biden administration.
“This is an effort to destroy our neighborhoods and silence our voices even further,” one resident said at a protest. Another warned that mass immigration could shift political influence: “Having over 500 people in our community would completely wipe out any interest we have.”
Amid these tensions, Johnson approved a $51 million aid package for immigrants, sparking pushback from residents who demanded support for their own communities. “We have not gotten anything for our community and we are sick and tired of being sick and tired,” one resident told the city council. “Enough is enough.”
