Tue. October 7, 2025
Chicago -
A new escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown arrived in Chicago today as Texas National Guard troops were deployed to the region and staged at a military training facility in Elwood, Illinois. Their arrival marks a major expansion of federal involvement in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city, intensifying fears among residents and civil rights groups who say the move threatens fundamental rights.
These Texas troops join 300 Illinois National Guard members whom President Trump previously federalized to support enforcement efforts. Illinois and city leaders filed suit to block further deployment, but a federal judge declined to issue an immediate restraining order.
LGBTQ Chicagoans, particularly queer immigrants, transgender people, and communities of color, are expressing alarm. The presence of out-of-state troops heightens tensions in neighborhoods already anxious about ICE raids and racial profiling. Many remember the 2017 crackdowns when ICE agents targeted queer-friendly shelters and workspaces in Pilsen, Uptown, and Little Village.
For LGBTQ migrants, the fear runs even deeper. Deportation could mean being sent back to countries where homosexuality and gender nonconformity are punishable by imprisonment, torture, or death. Many of Chicago’s queer asylum seekers fled nations in which living openly as LGBTQ was a risk to their lives, including places where police brutality, forced “conversion” practices, and mob violence remain common. For them, the militarization of immigration enforcement in Chicago feels like a cruel reminder that safety can still be taken away.
Emergency protest mobilization
In response to the troop deployment, A Coalition Against the Trump Agenda has called for an emergency protest mobilization on Wednesday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m., gathering at Ida B. Wells Drive and Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.
The protest, organized under the slogan “No Trump! No Troops!” aims to unite immigrants, LGBTQ communities, racial justice advocates, and faith leaders in opposition to the militarization of city streets. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) has joined the call, urging supporters to reject the militarization of streets, cities, and states.
Social media posts from the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda show photos of demonstrators already gathering downtown carrying pride flags and handmade signs. Organizers describe the protest as a call to defend civil rights, sanctuary policies, and the dignity of all who live in Chicago, regardless of immigration status.
What’s at stake
Observers report that the Texas troops have been stationed at the U.S. Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood, roughly 50 miles southwest of the city. Federal officials claim the troops are there to assist ICE and protect federal property, though the specifics of their role remain unclear. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul continue to challenge the legality of the deployment, calling it an unconstitutional misuse of federal power.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has criticized the decision as politically motivated and dangerous. The presence of out-of-state military forces, he said, threatens to escalate fear and tension in communities that already face racial profiling and discrimination.
For LGBTQ Chicagoans who are immigrants or refugees, the anxiety is particularly intense. Some fear being targeted for deportation to nations such as Uganda, Nigeria, or Chechnya, where same-sex relationships are criminalized and public identification as LGBTQ can invite mob violence or state persecution. Others have fled Central American countries where queer and trans individuals are hunted by gangs and often murdered with impunity. To be detained by ICE now, with military support behind it, could mean being forced back into mortal danger.
Know your rights, especially now
With ICE operations expanding and troops now stationed nearby, civil liberties organizations are urging everyone to understand their rights.
People have the right to remain silent and do not have to answer questions about where they were born or their immigration status.
They have the right to refuse consent to searches of themselves, their vehicles, or their homes unless officers present a valid judicial warrant.
They have the right to record officials, including ICE agents, law enforcement, or military personnel, in public spaces as long as they do not interfere.
And they have the right to legal counsel. Anyone detained can ask to speak to a lawyer before answering questions or signing documents.
Local organizations such as ICIRR, Centro Romero, and the TransLatin@ Coalition Chicago have activated hotlines and rapid-response teams to provide legal aid, track ICE movements, and assist protesters who may face arrest.
A community that refuses to be silenced
Chicago’s LGBTQ community has long stood at the frontlines of civil rights struggles, from ACT UP demonstrations in the 1980s to Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Activists say the current moment demands the same courage and solidarity. Faith-based groups, queer resource centers, and neighborhood mutual aid collectives are coordinating sanctuary spaces and safety networks for those fearing detention or deportation.
What comes next
Legal challenges to the federal deployment are ongoing. Illinois and Chicago officials continue to press for judicial limits on the use of troops and the scope of ICE operations. Civil rights advocates warn that the coming days will test the city’s commitment to remain a place of refuge.
For LGBTQ migrants, the stakes could not be higher. To be detained now might mean not only imprisonment but a forced return to a homeland where coming out is a death sentence. Chicago has long called itself a sanctuary city, but as federal power grows and troops take position, that sanctuary feels fragile. The protests on October 8 are more than political expression. For many, they are an act of survival and a demand to live freely without fear of erasure or exile.
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