In brief
In a provocative statement, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned the Trump administration for its decision to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard. Pritzker characterized the move as an un-American ultimatum that undermines state autonomy, and he reiterated concerns over the implications of federal troops in local law enforcement contexts. This announcement follows similar federal military interventions in cities across the United States, including Chicago, which President Trump has previously hinted at. Legal action is anticipated as city and state officials challenge this deployment.
The Trump administration plans to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Saturday.
Pritzker said the guard received word from the Pentagon in the morning that the troops would be called up. He did not specify when or where they would be deployed, but President Donald Trump has long threatened to send troops to Chicago.
“This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker said in a statement. “It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.”
Pritzker called Trump’s move in Illinois a “manufactured performance” that would pull the state’s National Guard troops away from their families and regular jobs.
”For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control,” the Governor added.
The escalation of federal law enforcement in Illinois follows similar deployments in other parts of the country, including in Baltimore and Memphis. Federal officials reported protests near an ICE facility in Illinois, leading to multiple arrests. Legal challenges are expected as Pritzker and other officials push back against the federalization of the National Guard.
