A US federal agent shot a motorist in Chicago on Saturday, while a judge simultaneously blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to deploy troops to Portland, intensifying tensions in both Democratic-led cities. Trump has cited a security emergency to justify military intervention.
These incidents are the latest flashpoints in the Trump administration’s aggressive law-and-order campaign, which has involved heavily militarised raids and protests in cities such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Trump has repeatedly described Portland as “war-ravaged” and overrun with violent crime. However, US District Judge Karin Immergut rejected the deployment in a Saturday court order, stating:
“The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.”
While the federal government presented evidence of sporadic violence against officers and property damage to a federal building, Judge Immergut wrote that they failed to demonstrate that these incidents were part of “an organised attempt to overthrow the government as a whole.”
She further noted that Portland’s protests did not pose a “danger of rebellion” and could be managed by “regular law enforcement forces.”
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden welcomed the ruling:
“This victory supports what Oregonians already know: we don’t need or want Donald Trump to provoke violence by deploying federal troops in our state.”
The Chicago incident occurred on Saturday morning after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker reported that federal authorities demanded his state deploy the National Guard or face federal intervention.
“The Trump administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will,” Pritzker said on X.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the shooting took place after agents were “boxed in by 10 cars.”
“Agents were unable to move their vehicles and exited the car. One of the drivers who rammed the law enforcement vehicle was armed with a semi-automatic weapon,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
“Law enforcement was forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots at an armed US citizen.”
AFP has not independently verified the DHS account.
The agency added that the motorist “drove herself to the hospital to receive treatment for her wounds.”
McLaughlin also accused Chicago police of abandoning the scene, claiming officers refused “to assist us in securing the area.”
In response, Chicago police told Fox 32 that officers did respond but emphasised: “The department is not involved in the incident or its investigation. Federal authorities are investigating this shooting.”
