Crowds filled major streets carrying banners that read “Stop ripping families apart,” “No ICE No Guard,” “Stop the Trump Agenda,” and “No Kings.” Many protesters also displayed signs in Spanish and wore keffiyehs to symbolize solidarity with immigrant and Middle Eastern communities.

Chicago City Council member Byron Sigcho-Lopez, representing the 25th Ward, addressed demonstrators, vowing that residents would resist the Trump administration through legal and peaceful means. “Here in Chicago, we’re going to fight them in the streets, in the courts, and in the legislative bodies,” he said. “But not violently—we’re not like them. We will not intimidate because we disagree.”

Sigcho-Lopez’s remarks came amid growing concern over the Trump administration’s public threats toward judges who have ruled against its policies. Roughly 95 percent of the president’s executive actions have been blocked by courts, often followed by verbal attacks on the judiciary.

Tensions escalated further after Trump threatened to have Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker arrested for opposing his military deployment plans. Both leaders have filed lawsuits to stop federal troops from being stationed in Illinois, arguing that such actions violate state authority.

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump posted Wednesday, “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE officers! Governor Pritzker also!” The comments fueled outrage across the city and further motivated residents to rally against what many see as federal overreach.

Reports earlier this week confirmed that National Guard troops were stationed at a base near Chicago. By Wednesday night, some were seen outside a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, while ICE officers were reportedly spotted on a nearby university campus.

Chicago, which the president frequently cites as a city struggling with crime, has actually seen a decline in violent incidents in recent years. According to official city data, shootings dropped by 38 percent during the first half of this year. Despite these improvements, the administration has continued to label Chicago as a “lawless” city requiring federal intervention.

The city’s demographics reflect its diversity, with Black and Hispanic residents each making up about 30 percent of the population. It is also home to one of the largest Palestinian-American communities in the United States and has a rich history as the birthplace of the American labor movement.

Protester Jordan Esparza-Kelley, a communications coordinator with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Chicago, told The New Arab that Trump’s actions are hurting local economies. “Trump ran on fixing the economy, but he’s crashing economies across major cities. The area where I live is practically a ghost town,” he said, explaining that fear of ICE raids has kept many immigrants from going to work, school, or even attending immigration hearings.

Esparza-Kelley emphasized that CAIR-Chicago is working to expand its community outreach and strengthen alliances with other advocacy groups to protect vulnerable residents during this tense period.

For many participants, Wednesday’s protest was not just about rejecting troop deployment—it was about defending democracy and community solidarity. “This is the moment for our city to fight back,” Sigcho-Lopez declared. “It matters that we’re in the streets. All dictators have fallen—and we will not be silenced.”