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By Hannah Parry and Peter Aitken
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that her department is planning to buy buildings in Chicago and Portland amid the Trump administration's crackdowns in the Democrat-led cities.
"We're purchasing more buildings in Chicago to operate out of. We're goina not back off, in fact we're doubling down and we're going to be in more parts of Chicago," Noem said, adding she was also increasing security measures at current buildings, including snipers.
Newsweek reached out by email to the offices of the Illinois and Oregon governors and the Chicago and Portland mayors for comment on Thursday afternoon.
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Why It Matters
Tensions between the Trump administration and officials in Chicago and Portland and their respective states have reached a fever pitch amid renewed efforts by federal officials to federalize and deploy National Guard troops to each city as President Donald Trump seeks to expand his immigration and crime crackdowns.
Officials in both states and cities continue to seek legal recourse to mitigate or outright block federal interference in their cities and states, but the Trump administration has argued that it needs to provide protection for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other federal law enforcement as they carry out legal orders and operations.
The Chicago mayor took extraordinary steps this week and banned the federal use of buildings and municipal spaces for these operations by signing an executive order to create "ICE free zones." The order prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from staging personnel or equipment in city-controlled parking lots, garages, and vacant lots.
What To Know
Speaking at Thursday's Cabinet meeting, Noem said she was "doubling down" efforts in both cities despite backlash from their city and state leaders.
She revealed that she had reviewed several buildings for the purpose during a recent visit to Chicago and that federal authorities were also looking at purchasing buildings in Portland.
"I was in Portland on Tuesday, and met the governor, met with the mayor, met with the chief of police... They are all lying, and disingenuous, and dishonest people," she added. "I told them if they didn't meet our demands for safety and security on the streets and work with us, then we were going to bring in more federal law enforcement."
“If we have to do it the hard way in Portland and Chicago, we will,” she said.
The meeting preceded the first of a couple of highly anticipated court decisions on the issue of federal authority to federalize National Guard troops and deploy them into the cities and states without the approval or request of local officials.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday temporarily stayed an earlier order by Judge Karin Immergut that blocked the federalization of the Oregon National Guard, but left her ban on the deployment of federalized troops into Portland in effect.
"Thus, the effect of granting an administrative stay preserves the status quo in which the National Guard members have been federalized but not deployed," the order stated.
Illinois has urged a judge reviewing its case to order the National Guard to stand down in the Chicago area. Chicago and Illinois officials say that Trump exceeded his authority and ignored the pleas of officials, and the case has drawn heavy public turnout around the courthouse.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social earlier this month, said, "The only reason crime is somewhat down in Memphis is because the FBI, and others in the Federal Government, at my direction, have been working there for 5 months - on the absolutely terrible Crime numbers. Likewise, in Chicago and Los Angeles! But the real work by us has barely begun. That happens after we make the official announcement that WE’RE COMING, and when we do that, as we did in now VERY SAFE WASHINGTON, D.C., the no crime “miracle” begins. ONLY I CAN SAVE THEM!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT"
In a later post, Trump said that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker "should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers!"
J.S. Justice Department lawyer Eric Hamilton during Thursday's hearing in Chicago: "Chicago is seeing a brazen new form of hostility from rioters targeting federal law enforcement. They’re not protesters. There is enough that there is a danger of a rebellion here, which there is.”
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut said during an emergency hearing on October 5: “How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention of the [temporary restraining order] that I issued yesterday?”
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek wrote in a letter dated October 7: “Our citizen soldiers deserve better than to be uprooted from their families and careers, only to be mobilized for an illegal mission.”
Update 10/9/25, 2:52 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional comment and context.
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