() An elite specialized tactical unit within Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be deployed to Chicago in the near future, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told on Tuesday.

Noem, leaving a lengthy Trump administration Cabinet meeting at the White House, was asked by if Chicago could be the next target of federal forces deployed by President Donald Trump.

“We’re going to have a strike team in Chicago soon,” Noem told when asked about plans for the nation’s third-largest city.

Noem’s comments come on the heels of Chicago remaining a primary talking point for Trump, who said again on Tuesday that he would consider sending the National Guard to Chicago if he were asked by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Trump continued to criticize Pritzker and other elected officials in Democratic-led cities, saying that they are “against crime prevention.” Trump, who built a large hotel along the Chicago River that includes his name being prominently displayed, said he is “embarrassed” by the crime numbers despite city officials saying violent crime in the city is down by more than 30%.

“If I were a Democrat governor or mayor, I would call up President Trump and say we need your help,” Trump said. “We’ll do the same thing in Chicago, but I’d like to be asked.”

Pritzker and Johnson both took center stage at a news conference on Monday in Chicago, where both said in no uncertain terms that they had not and would not ask for National Guard troops to be sent to Chicago.

However, in her comments to , Noem was referring to ICE “strike teams,” which are specialized units within the federal agency. In June, Chicago was among five cities run by Democratic leaders that were said to be considered for elite special response teams known as SRTs to be deployed, previously reported.

Other cities included Seattle, Philadelphia, New York and the northern Virginia region, which included Washington, DC.

Reports of the tactical units being sent to the Democratic-led cities arose after anti-ICE rallies in Los Angeles became a “tipping point” for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS officials said that they would “not be deterred” by the rallies, which included thousands of No Kings rallies that took place across the nation.

NBC News reported at the time that several SRT units were being prepared for deployment, but that no timeline had been set. Eight SRTs are deployed by ICE that are “trained to serve high-risk warrants under hazardous conditions, escort dangerous criminal aliens who have been ordered deported and assist local law enforcement agencies during critical incidents,” according to ICE.

The tactical units use BearCat tracked vehicles, long guns and tactical vests, typically in operations considered high risk. The elite special response teams are part of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, which is charged with “upholding America’s immigration laws and within and beyond our borders through efficient enforcement and removal operations,” ICE said.

Before Noem told about the plans for ICE to deploy a strike team, she was asked what cities could be considered for National Guard troops, which Trump said have cut down dramatically on crime in Washington over the past 12 days since being deployed.

Asked if she would specify which states could be in play, Noem said, “I’ll leave that to the president.”