For weeks, officials have been preparing to deploy the National Guard to Chicago as part of Trump’s efforts to increase the scope of the crime crackdown

As President Donald Trump seeks to broaden his anti-crime agenda and crackdown on immigration in major American cities, two officials told CNN that the Trump administration has been preparing to deploy the National Guard to Chicago for weeks.

When such deployments would begin and the number of troops that would be dispatched to Chicago are yet unknown.

“I think Chicago will be our next, and then we’ll help with New York,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday, seemingly giving a sneak peek at his plans.

The White House has not contacted the city regarding the deployment or any heightened police presence, according to Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who warned Friday that the action would be “uncalled for” and “illegal.”

“Sending in the military is not one of the many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago,” Johnson said in a statement.

In response to a request for comment on Saturday, the White House directed CNN to Trump’s comments made the day before in the Oval Office. When a reporter asked the president on Friday if he had taken any “concrete steps” toward a crackdown in the city, he responded that he hadn’t spoken to the mayor of Chicago. Regarding the possible soldier deployment to Chicago, which was initially reported by The Washington Post, CNN has contacted the Pentagon for comment.

The intentions are in line with the Trump administration’s unconventional use of the military for immigration and law enforcement operations inside US borders.

In contrast to the law enforcement crackdown in Washington, DC, where Trump and the federal government have more discretion in allocating soldiers and other federal authorities, the administration’s possible actions in Chicago would be different.

According to sources who spoke to CNN, the administration’s future plans, including those in Chicago, are anticipated to resemble Trump’s use of the National Guard to put an end to immigration rallies in Los Angeles earlier this summer.

Despite California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom’s protests, Trump used Title 10 of the US Code in June to deploy roughly 700 active-duty Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. The National Guard answers to the president, not the governor, as Title 10 permits the president to use the force as needed to thwart invasion, quell revolt, or carry out the law.

In a lawsuit that is currently pending in court, California quickly contested the legitimacy of Trump’s use of the National Guard.

Nevertheless, Trump hailed the action as a resounding victory. In June, he posted on social media, “Los Angeles would be a crime scene like we haven’t seen in years without the Military.”

Federal agencies, such as the National Guard, frequently respond to emergencies nationwide in the event of civil unrest or disaster relief. However, analysts claim that it is unprecedented to deploy the National Guard in a broad sweep to enforce Trump’s immigration policy and crack down on crime.

The government has attempted to increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s capability by bringing in staff from various departments, including the US military, as it seeks to broaden its immigration agenda throughout the US rather than just along the southern border.

As previously reported by CNN, internal conversations have addressed whether National Guard forces from Republican-led states may be utilized in non-consenting states and how to mobilize active-duty troops from consenting states as force protection for federal agents.

Additionally, Attorney General Pam Bondi has stated that the National Guard may target states and localities with so-called sanctuary policies that prohibit local officials from aiding federal immigration enforcement.

But Democratic city mayors and governors are resisting.

More information has been added to this story.