Officials in the US city of Chicago were bracing for a possible deployment of the United States National Guard on Friday, as part of President Donald Trump’s wider crackdown on crime and immigration – notably, many point out, in Democratic strongholds.

Last week, CNN, citing unnamed officials, reported that the controversial military deployment could take place by Friday and that the National Guard might be ready to patrol the city on Saturday.

At the same time, a major federal immigration operation involving officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is also expected to begin in the city.

Last Sunday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, claimed the Trump administration had not informed him of the deployment plans, and that such a move would amount to an “ invasion

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