By Steve Neavling
Federal officials abruptly left Naval Station Great Lakes outside Chicago after Illinois Democrats announced they would tour the base ahead of an expected immigration crackdown, Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Sunday.
“Basically, they fled the base,” Duckworth said on CBS’ Face the Nation. “When we showed up, they had given the staff the day off, locked the doors and left the base.”
Duckworth joined Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Brad Schneider to inspect the site after reports that up to 300 ICE agents would operate there as President Donald Trump escalates enforcement in Democratic-run “sanctuary cities.” Trump also pledged to send the National Guard to Chicago, drawing sharp criticism from Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Duckworth said she and her colleagues sought clarity from the Department of Homeland Security but were rebuffed.
“This is not the action of someone that’s doing something legal or that they’re proud of,” she said. “We certainly have sent the administration multiple inquiries about what they are planning on doing. Who are they bringing into Chicago? Are they planning to bring the National Guard in? They’ve not even reached out to local law enforcement to try to coordinate. And we’ve not gotten any communications or feedback from the administration, whatsoever.”
Navy officials told the lawmakers the only request so far was to provide ICE with office space, Duckworth said.
The standoff escalated Saturday when Trump declared on Truth Social that his administration would go to “WAR” with Chicago.
“Chicago [is] about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” he wrote, referencing a proposed renaming of the Defense Department.
Duckworth called the statement alarming.
“I take what the President of the United States says very seriously, because that is the respect you have to give to the office,” she said. “And if that’s what he’s declaring, then let me make it clear, it would be an illegal order to declare war on a major city, any city within the United States, by the President of the United States.”
