Chicago Latino leaders held a press briefing on Thursday to warn their community ahead of Mexican Independence Day celebrations in the city this month.

Berto Aguayo, the Latino Leadership Council Policy co-chair said "there are people in positions of power who want to provoke us, to justify the unjustifiable: a military presence in our communities."

President Donald Trump has targeted Chicago as the next Democrat-led city for expanded federal intervention. His administration has said it will step up immigration enforcement in the Windy City, as he did in Los Angeles, and would deploy National Guard troops to help fight crime.

"Do not take the bait," warned former Congressman Luis Gutiérrez during the press briefing.

"And I say to all the National Guardsmen that are called: you too can follow your conscience," Gutiérrez added, "and this obey an illegal order."

The Trump administration has informed local officials that its promised immigration enforcement surge in Chicago will operate seven days a week for about six weeks, according to the mayor of a suburb that houses an immigration processing center.

On Thursday, organizers postponed a downtown Mexican Independence Day festival scheduled for September 13th and 14th because of fears in the community about the planned immigration crackdown. They did not set a new date.