Trump Expands Crime Crackdown, Eyes Troop Deployments in Major U.S. Cities

President Donald Trump is signaling that his administration’s crime crackdown will soon expand to major U.S. cities beyond Washington, D.C., with Chicago, New York, and Baltimore among those mentioned.

Overnight, National Guard troops continued patrolling the streets of the nation’s capital, with defense officials confirming they are armed for self-protection. At least six Republican-led states have also sent their own troops to assist in the federal effort.

“When we’re ready, we’ll go ahead and straighten out Chicago just like we did D.C.,” Trump said, calling Chicago “very dangerous.”

The president’s comments come despite Chicago Police Department data showing murders, robberies, and shootings are down more than 30 percent this year. Local officials have strongly pushed back on Trump’s approach, arguing federal troop deployments amount to occupying American cities.

In Baltimore, Maryland Governor Wes Moore responded directly to Trump’s threat to send in troops, saying, “Donald Trump, if you are not willing to walk our communities, keep our name out of your mouth.” Trump later posted on social media that if Moore “needs help, I will send in the troops.”

Meanwhile, immigration enforcement is adding to tensions. The Justice Department recently acknowledged that Quilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March. He was later released and reunited with his family but is now accused by the Trump administration of gang ties and human smuggling — charges he denies.

According to his attorneys, Abrego Garcia faces a difficult choice: accept a plea deal and be deported to Costa Rica, or decline and risk being deported to Uganda as soon as Wednesday.

“This is preposterous, that they would send him to Africa,” one of his lawyers said.

The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office maintains that the crackdown is necessary for public safety, but critics argue the administration is overstepping local authority while using crime and immigration cases to justify an unprecedented federal presence in American cities.

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