Washington, DC [US] September 6 : 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".
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."
Earlier this year, Trump dispatched federal agents and troops to Los Angeles and Washington, saying that the step was necessary to tackle crime and enforce immigration law, according to NYT.
According to The New York Times, Chicago is home to 2.7 million residents, has an estimated 150,000 undocumented immigrants, nearly 8 per cent of the city's households. The scale of the planned enforcement has raised concerns among migrant families, community groups, and local leaders, many of whom fear mass detentions and deportations.
Hundreds of residents and immigrant rights groups have pledged to mobilise in downtown Chicago at the first signs of ICE raids.
On Thursday night, metal barricades were placed around the federal courthouse in the Loop, signalling preparations for potential confrontations between protesters and enforcement agencies, The New York Times reported.
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