On Sept. 2, 2025, President Donald Trump, during a White House livestream, announced that he would deploy the National Guard in Chicago. Trump cited crime in the city as his reason behind this action, and that he would not wait for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s approval. He said, “Now, we’re going to do it anyway. We have the right to do it, because I have an obligation to protect this country.”
Pritzker, later that day, rejected Trump’s claims and made his own statement during a press conference to address the concerns of Chicago residents. Pritzker denounced the notion that the deployment is for fighting against crime and explained how a National Guard deployment would affect Illinois communities.
Pritzker believes these federal agents will target neighborhoods with a large Latinx community to search for what the agents claim are “violent criminals.” These agents, he said at the conference, could be masked and riding in unmarked vehicles while searching neighborhoods.
Pritzker affirmed that Trump had positioned military agents and military vehicles at the Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago and possibly other federal properties. He asserted that the staging of agents started Sept. 1, and the preparation is ongoing. “It is likely those [military agents] will be with ICE, Customs and Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security, and other similarly situated federal agencies,” said Pritzker.
Similarly, ICE has responded to the Mayor of Broadview, Illinois, Katrina Thompson’s request for information. Mayor Thompson was informed that a large-scale enforcement campaign will begin soon and that the immigration facility within the village will be the main processing location.
Chicago community events have already been disrupted. El Grito, an annual festival celebrating Mexican Independence Day in downtown Chicago with an estimated 12,000 people in attendance last year, according to the organizers, is now canceled until further notice. The organizers explained on their website that they are not willing to risk the safety of their community.
Emergency protests have started, and more are planned. On Sept. 5, after Mayor Thompson’s letter was released, residents of Broadview marched toward the ICE facility in the village and protested. They raised their signs demanding ICE be removed from their town, which stirred a small police presence.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Campus Security sent out an email to students on Sept. 5, 2025 addressing some student safety concerns. John Pack, the executive director of Campus Security, wrote in an email that his department would not be receiving advanced notification of the deployments. However, he reassured that there are campus protocols and resources available to students.
The email stated that SAIC does “not permit any law enforcement agencies to operate in non-public areas of SAIC without a valid judicial warrant.” If law enforcement comes, there are security measures put in place to protect students. “Campus Security has been instructed to contact the Art Institute’s General Counsel’s Office,” if anything illegal or harmful occurs.
To report an emergency to Campus Security, you can go to any security desk in campus buildings, press the emergency button on SAIC phones, call Campus Security with the 9-1230 on an SAIC phone, or call Campus Security at 312-899-1230 on any non-SAIC phone.
SAIC Campus Security also provided advice to students:
- Always carry valid identification on you. If you have it, carry valid immigration papers and your work permit at all times. Have valid copies of these documents.
- Contact Campus Security if you witness or experience behavior that makes you or other students feel unsafe in any way.
- Protest safely. Stay accurately informed, be aware of your surroundings, and attend protests with friends. Keep in mind that the federal government has the ability to revoke the visas of international students caught at these events.
- Stay informed by following trusted news sources. The email suggests City of Chicago and Notify Chicago for non-emergency/emergency situations.
Immigration documents can be requested at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services under records, then under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act.
Both Pritzker and SAIC Campus Security have suggested that residents of Illinois and students know their rights. The Office of the Attorney General, State of Illinois, in a released document, has a list of rights depending on the circumstance, including detailed information about if officers come to your house or if you are arrested.
Many SAIC students have been concerned.
“I feel very frustrated and pretty scared and just upset about it,” Jamie Daniels (BFA, 2029) said when asked how he was feeling about this situation. He expressed dissatisfaction with how the school was addressing student fears. “There are people very concerned about their families and their own ability to stay in the country themselves. It’s unfortunate to see the school not doing anything about it, but not that surprising,” Daniels said.
Some SAIC teachers are also feeling strong emotions at this time, while juggling the responsibility of their jobs.
“It makes me scared for the community, it makes me scared for my students, and the staff, faculty, and everyone at the school and everybody in the city,” said Sarah Belknap, associate professor, adjunct in Contemporary Practices. She also said that they have not been told any more information than what has been sent out to students.
“It’s causing confusion, it’s causing insecurity, and forcing people into a certain type of isolation to not feel safe,” said Joseph Belknap, associate professor, adjunct in Contemporary Practices and Sarah’s spouse. They went on to highlight the importance of community and for students to be there for each other.
