Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Trump threatens 'Apocalypse Now'-style action against Chicago to boost deportations

Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans are preparing for the potential arrival of National Guard troops — in what may be the latest set of cities targeted under President Donald Trump.
Trump mentioned all three cities this week as possible places for troop deployment in order to curb crime — though data shows that crime has gone down in those cities. It comes after the use of the National Guard in Los Angeles in June and Washington, D.C. in August.
In Chicago, home to one of the largest Mexican communities in the U.S., organizers of a Mexican Independence celebration this weekend told NPR they planned to bolster their event with a large team of volunteers and distribute "know your rights" cards.
" We won't let anyone rain on our parade," said Vicky Lugo, the lead organizer for the event in the city's lower west side.
Chicago
Major events will continue this weekend as scheduled in Chicago, including Taste of Chicago, Printers Row Lit Festival and Sundays on State, but organizers say they'll be monitoring the situation closely, member station WBEZ reported.
At least one celebration for Mexican Independence Day, which is on Sept. 16, has been postponed to November because of worries about immigration raids and National Guard deployment, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
Lugo said her group chose to move forward with their Mexican Independence Day parade this Saturday because of the groundswell of support and influx of volunteers they received.
" Honestly, it's the support of the community that we have gotten that has kept us going," she said.
When asked about the upcoming Mexican Independence Day events, Chicago's mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday encouraged residents to come together and celebrate.
"I'm not intimidated and no one should be," he said.
Earlier this week, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he expects Trump to deploy "unidentified agents in unmarked vehicles" to Latino neighborhoods in Chicago, along with federal agents at federal properties throughout the city.
"We are ready to fight troop deployments in court and we will do everything possible to ensure that agents operating inside the confines of this state do so in a legal and ethical manner," he said.
Baltimore
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott have been discussing what kinds of legal action they can take against the Trump administration if troops are deployed in the city, member station WYPR reported.
At a press conference on Friday night, Moore said he welcomes federal support but "we want federal supports that actually work." He went on to criticize the Trump administration for slashing funds for violence prevention programs.
On Friday, Moore and Scott also announced that the city of Baltimore will receive additional state law enforcement resources to tackle crime, including from the Maryland State Police and Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
New Orleans
Unlike the Democratic governors in Illinois and Maryland, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, has supported the prospect of troops coming to the city of New Orleans.
Earlier this week, Landry wrote on X "We will take President @realDonaldTrump's help from New Orleans to Shreveport!"
Landry was also among the handful of Republican governors to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to support Trump's crime crackdown.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's office and the New Orleans Police Department did not comment on whether they support or oppose the use of troops, but emphasized that their current approach has shown progress in reducing crime.
"The City of New Orleans and NOPD remain committed to sustaining this momentum, ensuring that every neighborhood continues to feel the impact of these combined efforts," the statement read.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Shreveport, Tom Arceneaux, said he respected the governor's concern for public safety but cautioned that the most effective approach is through discussions among local, state and federal officials to identify long-term solutions.
"Any city our size can always use additional resources in the battle against crime. The question is how, when, and in what form to provide those resources," he said in a statement on Thursday.
Copyright 2025 NPR
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?