Trump Asks Naval Base Outside Chicago for Support

Naval Station Great Lakes says it's been asked to support immigration operations
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 28, 2025 9:45 AM CDT
Trump Asks Military Base Outside Chicago for Support
President Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday in Washington.   (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Trump's administration has asked a military base outside Chicago for support on immigration operations, the base said Thursday, signaling a push to expand its law enforcement crackdown to other cities. The Department of Homeland Security has asked Naval Station Great Lakes for "limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs to support DHS operations," said Matt Mogle, spokesperson for the base 35 miles north of Chicago. He said no decisions have been made on the request and that the base hasn't received an official request to support a National Guard deployment, reports the AP.

The request shows the Republican administration's desire to move beyond Washington as it ramps up immigration operations. Trump has threatened to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago and other Democratic-led cities after he called up troops to target crime, immigration, and homelessness in Washington. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has said that the nation's third-largest city doesn't need or want military intervention to fight crime.

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