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Pentagon authorizes Naval Station Great Lakes for ICE operations targeting Chicago

Pentagon crosses Posse Comitatus line, militarizing immigration enforcement·September 4, 2025

Defense officials confirmed September 4, 2025, that the Pentagon approved Naval Station Great Lakes as a staging ground for ICE operations targeting Chicago immigrants. The Navy base was approved to accommodate approximately 250 federal agents with parking for 140 vehicles. This provides a federal command center beyond local sanctuary policy reach. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker opposes the deployment. Federal courts previously ruled similar arrangements in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act prohibiting military domestic law enforcement.

Key facts

Pentagon approved Naval Station Great Lakes as staging ground for ICE operations targeting Chicago area, according to defense officials confirming the authorization for immigration enforcement operations. The Navy base serves as command center for Department of Homeland Security missions.

About 300 ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and DHS agents will operate from the base from September 2-30, 2025. Naval Station Great Lakes Commanding Officer Captain Stephen Yargosz sent internal email describing operations as similar to Los Angeles deployment from earlier this summer.

Agents will use Building 617, which houses the Navy College Learning Center and Library, as their command center. The base provides office space, parking, and portable laundry units for federal immigration enforcement operations.

The naval base could potentially house National Guard or active-duty troops if Trump orders military surge in Chicago, similar to deployments in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Federal agents will stay in hotels in Waukegan, Gurnee, and surrounding communities.

Naval Station Great Lakes is the Navy's largest training station and biggest military installation in Illinois, primarily used for training Navy recruits. The facility now redirects resources from military training to support domestic law enforcement operations.

Federal buildings in the area include the naval base, James A

Lovell Federal Healthcare Center, FBI firing range in North Chicago, and U.S

Social Security Office in Waukegan National Guard troops would protect these federal facilities as they did in Los Angeles.

Border Czar Tom Homan confirmed ramped-up post-Labor Day deportation campaign for Chicago with large contingent of agents. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said additional resources would be added to existing ICE operations in Chicago and Illinois.