The Trump regime has done its best to cultivate an atmosphere of fear and bigotry. This has manifested itself in different ways, including with the deployment of the National Guard to our nation's Capital, Washington, D.C., and now Chicago, a city right on the doorstep of Wisconsin.
With some people looking to capitalize on this moment and invite the military to Milwaukee and possibly the rest of the state, the Trump regime wants to use the military to suppress our civil liberties and normalize these unprecedented actions, which raises our collective anxieties.
On August 11, 2025, President Trump deployed nearly 1,000 National Guard troops and an equal number of federal law enforcement officers to patrol the streets of D.C. while temporarily placing the D.C. police department under federal control under the guise of an emergency.
Since then, six Republican governors have sent their National Guard troops to D.C. and it is now expected that the National Guard will be in Chicago. This gradual but pernicious expansion of the National Guard shows how this march toward authoritarianism and fascism can no longer be seen as hyperbole or unfounded and must be met with mobilization, strategy and courage.
If the National Guard will soon prowl the streets of Chicago, it is reasonable to infer that certain cities in Wisconsin might not be far behind. It is understandable that this might cause unease and anxiety in an already fraught and divided climate. The Trump regime has been rolling back the rights of marginalized communities at breakneck speed, eroding the rights Black and Brown people, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, women, and workers. Military presence on our streets will only exacerbate the valid worries and concerns that members of our communities will have. We have witnessed the abuse of power and the suffering that is inflicted upon these communities when the National Guard is involved like in L.A.
While we hope that the National Guard does not continue being deployed to any U.S. cities, if they arrive in Wisconsin and police our communities, we will fight to defend people’s civil rights and liberties. We are ready and prepared to fight back and to let you know about your rights and how to protect yourself if there is an encounter between you and the military.
Several ACLU resources tell you what to do if you are confronted by law enforcement or military troops. Learn more about troops on our streets and what you can do to protect yourself in an encounter with the military troops. Of course, there are many other situations where knowing your rights is important to your safety and your civil liberties, such as if you encounter law enforcement during a protest. Resistance requires knowledge and strategy. Get informed and inform everyone you know.
It is easy to plunge into despair when faced with this overwhelming and overbearing period in our country. The warnings and alarms that we saw and raised were willfully ignored, leading to frustration and resignation. The march of the National Guard seems like a confirmation of your worst fears. But it is with you and your belief in your community, your ability to galvanize and strategize, and your knowledge of your rights that this, too, can be confronted and defeated.
The Trump regime will continue to try to use every tool to advance oppression and suppression, but we are here, united against fascism and authoritarianism, and we will never cede our streets to federal armed troops and surrender our rights to an extreme power grab by the federal government.