Donald Trump, the US president, has authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, Illinois, to confront what he calls out-of-control crime.
His move came just hours after immigration authorities said there had been clashes with protesters in the Democratic-controlled city.
They also shot at an armed woman when several people crashed their cars into a police vehicle.
Federal and state leaders have been criticizing Trump's troop deployment plans for weeks, calling them an abuse of power.
Trump is “trying to create a crisis,” says J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois.
The American president decided at the end of September to send 200 soldiers in Portland, the largest city in Oregon, to "protect federal property," but a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from doing so.
Judge Karin Immergut characterized Trump's statements about conditions in Portland as "unrelated to the facts," indicating that the move violates the Constitution.
Using the military to suppress unrest without the consent of Oregon authorities threatens the sovereignty of that state and other states, she said.
Trump's intention was to inflame tensions in the city and provoke even greater protests, she added.
The administration's arguments that the deployment is necessary could "blur the line between civilian and military federal authority, to the detriment of this nation," she warned.
It is not yet known whether the troops have arrived in Chicago, but any such deployment is likely to face legal challenges.
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Portland is the latest city to be targeted by the controversial troop deployment.
Trump previously ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, Washington, and Memphis, cities governed by Democrats.
The deployment raised legal and constitutional questions, as National Guard troops are usually deployed by the state governor, and centuries-old laws restrict them from being deployed. The government uses the army for internal affairs..
Due to the enforcement of immigration laws in the city, protests are increasing in Chicago, with many organized in front of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement buildings.
"Due to ongoing violent unrest and lawlessness, which local leaders like (Governor) Pritzker refuse to quell, President Trump has authorized 300 National Guard members to protect federal employees and property," said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman.
"President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities," she added.
A day before the US president was to approve the deployment of troops to Chicago, on October 4, US Border Patrol agents shot a woman in Chicago.
Previously, a group of people crashed their cars into immigration vehicles, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.
The woman was armed, they said, but her injuries are not yet known.
Watch: Australian journalist shot with rubber bullet while reporting live from protests in Los Angeles
In early October, Trump spoke about deploying troops to American cities, addressing senior military leaders.
He told them that he wanted American cities to be "training grounds" for American troops, so they could fight the "enemy within" and quell unrest.
"These are very unsafe places and we're going to take them down one by one," he said of Democratic-led cities, which include Chicago.
He also threatened to send troops to Chicago for almost a month, due to what he said were crime and shootings in the city.
Violent crime in Chicago has dropped significantly in the last two years.
The homicide rate fell by a third between January and June compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the Criminal Justice Council.
But the overall level is significantly higher than average compared to many other American cities.
During the Labor Day weekend in September alone, at least 58 people were shot, eight of whom died.
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