On October 6, the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago sued the Trump administration to prevent the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago.
The legal action follows President Trump’s authorization to send 300 Illinois National Guard members to Chicago in order to control the protest against the federal government’s immigration enforcement campaign.
Similarly, a day earlier, on October 5, a judge temporarily blocked the National Guard’s deployment in Portland, Oregon.
In addition to the 300 National Guard members, 200 National Guard members from different units from Texas, have also been called up. In total, the 500 National Guardsmen from both states have arrived in Illinois, despite the lawsuit.
To elaborate, the National Guard is a component of the U.S. military that can be mobilized to assist during emergencies. They can be activated by a state governor or the president to help respond to things like natural disasters, protests, or public safety issues. According to BBC News, and the Insurrection Act, U.S. law lets the president call in National Guard troops from any state if the country is being invaded, in danger of being invaded by another nation, or if there’s a rebellion or threat of rebellion against the government.
According to The Texas Tribune, the Trump administration says the deployment is meant to protect federal immigration officers, especially those working for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Over the past month, Chicago has seen an increase in immigration raids, many of which have been met with protests and pushback from local residents. Some of these confrontations have escalated into violent clashes.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated in a Fox News interview that the National Guard is there to ensure the safety of federal and ICE officials and support federal immigration enforcement.
Since the crackdown began, ICE agents have arrested over 1,000 people suspected of being undocumented immigrants. In several cases, U.S. citizens and children have also been affected, causing even more outrage from the public and immigrant advocacy groups.
Democratic Governor JB Pritzker denounced the mobilization of troops, claiming it to be an “invasion of Illinois by the federal government,” as reported on USA Today. “[Trump] clearly has decided to declare war on a great American city. Our people have been subjected to violence, intimidation, and harassment.”
In response, President Trump slammed both Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson by posting on Truth Social, “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect ICE Officers! Governor Pritzker also!,” according to CBS News.
This legal battle is in the hands of the U.S. District Judge April Perry. As of now, she has decided not to take immediate action and has declined to sign the state’s request for an emergency order to block the deployment. Instead, she has scheduled a hearing for this Thursday, on October 9, giving time for the Trump administration to respond to the case.
