White House plans to use Chicago-area Navy base for DHS crackdown
The Trump administration is weighing plans to use a Navy base near Chicago to support migrant detention efforts in the Windy City as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) crackdown on illegal immigration.
DHS asked the Naval Station Great Lakes for “limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs to support DHS operations,” the base’s spokesperson, Matt Mogle, told The Associated Press (AP)
Mogle said no decision has been made regarding the request and that the base, located about 35 miles north of Chicago, has not gotten a formal request to support the deployment of the National Guard.
The request to the base comes as Trump has greenlighted the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. as part of an effort to combat crime. The president also deployed soldiers in June to Los Angeles in the wake of protests sparked by an uptick of activity in the region by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Trump’s border czar Tom Homan confirmed Thursday morning that the administration is discussing the use of the base near Chicago to aid in immigration raids.
“It’s under discussions. Maybe by the end of the day, but it’s being discussed,” Homan told reporters at the White House.
The deployment would involve over 200 DHS officials with the base being used as a staging area, The New York Times reported, citing internal documents. The base would provide “facilities, infrastructure and other logistical needs” if the DHS is approved, a Defense Department official told The Times. The request from DHS is seeking space for 250 DHS officials, along with a “Tactical Operations Center” and an “Incident Command Post.”
The potential use of the base comes as Trump has criticized Illinois lawmakers, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), over the crime rate in the city.
Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) have pushed back on Trump’s rhetoric. Earlier this week, Pritzker warned the president against sending National Guard troops to Chicago.
“Instead, I say, ‘Mr. President, do not come to Chicago,'” the governor said. “You are neither wanted here nor needed here.”
Use of the naval base comes as the administration considers building detention facilities in states across the U.S., following the opening of Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” — which has faced legal issues and backlash.