Democratic leaders across Illinois and Congress are condemning Donald Trump’s reported plans to send national guard troops to Chicago, denouncing what they call an unprecedented abuse of presidential power.
Illinois governor JB Pritzker is set to hold a news conference alongside Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul later on Monday to formally oppose any federal troop deployment in the city.
Pentagon sources confirmed to news outlets that planning is actively under way for the operation, though no final decision has been announced. Pentagon officials also told Fox News ahead of the weekend that up to 1,700 national guard personnel are prepared to mobilize across 19 predominantly Republican states from August to mid-November to support immigration enforcement operations.
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Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson said the targeting of Chicago was “the most flagrant violation of our constitution in the 21st century” and promised court battles if troops arrive. Johnson also said his office received no direct communication from the White House regarding the reported plans.
The deployment would mark an expansion of Trump’s domestic military operations, which have already seen armed national guard troops patrolling Washington DC and Los Angeles, which faces ongoing federal occupation despite legal challenges.
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of manufacturing a crisis to justify the unprecedented move, responding to reports of the administration’s planning. Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, the New York Democrat said the president was “playing games with the lives of Americans” through his domestic military deployments.
“There’s no basis, no authority for Donald Trump to potentially try to drop federal troops into the city of Chicago,” Jeffries said.
Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth slammed the proposal as a dangerous distraction designed to “intimidate Americans in their own communities” and as a sort of red herring to deflect criticism from Trump’s unpopular policies.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois branded the plans an “illegal attempt to militarize Chicago” that would “spark chaos and create spectacle” rather than address genuine public safety concerns.
While presidents can federalize national guard units, their authority over cities beyond Washington DC is limited without the governor’s consent, typically restricting operations to protecting federal buildings and personnel. Meanwhile, California’s court challenge to Trump’s LA deployment remains unresolved.
As for where the Pritzker stands, he accused Trump of attempting to “manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families”.
Despite the opposition, some conservative voices in Chicago have expressed support for additional law enforcement presence. The group Chicago Flips Red argued that federal intervention may be necessary if local authorities can’t control crime.
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