United States President Donald Trump has made a cryptic comment, hinting at a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Chicago.
“I love the smell of deportation in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of War,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account.
He also posted a dramatic AI-generated image of him in military attire with a fire in the background, which is based on poster of 1979 war action movie “Apocalypse Now”.
The poster shared by Trump reads, “Chipocalypse Now”.
Replying to this, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the US president a “wannabe dictator.” “The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke,” Pritzker said on X.
He added, “This is not normal. Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”
Earlier this week, Trump signed an Executive Order which reverted the Department of Defence’s name to the Department of War.
According to ABC News, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker confirmed that federal immigration enforcement could intensify in Chicago this weekend.
At a press conference earlier this week, Pritzker said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be ramping up operations, with as many as 300 agents expected to be deployed.
The New York Times also reported that Department of Homeland Security officials would arrive at Chicago’s Naval Station Great Lakes this week, with enforcement expected to continue for at least 30 days in the wider Chicago area.
The latest move follows repeated attacks by Trump on Chicago’s Democratic leadership, crime levels, and handling of immigration. He has previously described the city as a “mess.”
With inputs from ANI
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
