Democrats have only themselves to blame for Trump’s National Guard patrols
By Rich Lowry
Published Oct. 7, 2025, 11:25 a.m. ET
Members of the National Guard walk past the Department of Agriculture headquarters building on the seventh day of the US federal government shutdown on October 7, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Members of the National Guard walk past the Department of Agriculture headquarters building on the seventh day of the US federal government shutdown on October 7, 2025, in Washington, DC. AFP via Getty Images
President Trump wanted an excuse to send National Guard troops to Chicago, and now he’s got one.
The Windy City in recent days has done its best imitation of Los Angeles, where resistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations created the justification for a Guard deployment a couple months ago.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson hate the notion of the National Guard in the streets of the city, but have failed to rally Chicago residents to do the one thing necessary to avoid the deployment — let federal officers do their job.
The word should have gone out long ago: Don’t riot outside ICE facilities.
Don’t ram cars into ICE vehicles.
Don’t keep ICE officers from making arrests.
nypost.com
Don’t follow ICE vehicles in an attempt to disrupt operations.
Don’t act as though the Gestapo has descended on your city and civil disobedience, or violence, is the only answer.
None of this should be a big ask.
By Rich Lowry
Published Oct. 7, 2025, 11:25 a.m. ET
Members of the National Guard walk past the Department of Agriculture headquarters building on the seventh day of the US federal government shutdown on October 7, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Members of the National Guard walk past the Department of Agriculture headquarters building on the seventh day of the US federal government shutdown on October 7, 2025, in Washington, DC. AFP via Getty Images
President Trump wanted an excuse to send National Guard troops to Chicago, and now he’s got one.
The Windy City in recent days has done its best imitation of Los Angeles, where resistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations created the justification for a Guard deployment a couple months ago.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson hate the notion of the National Guard in the streets of the city, but have failed to rally Chicago residents to do the one thing necessary to avoid the deployment — let federal officers do their job.
The word should have gone out long ago: Don’t riot outside ICE facilities.
Don’t ram cars into ICE vehicles.
Don’t keep ICE officers from making arrests.

Democrats have only themselves to blame for Trump’s National Guard patrols
Leftist leaders’ incendiary rhetoric has whipped followers into an anti-ICE frenzy — but if we’re in the run-up to another Civil War, they’re in the Confederate role, opposing federal a…

Don’t follow ICE vehicles in an attempt to disrupt operations.
Don’t act as though the Gestapo has descended on your city and civil disobedience, or violence, is the only answer.
None of this should be a big ask.