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| Illinois Democrats condemn Trump’s plans to send national guard to Chicago as ‘unconstitutional’ | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Pentagon sources have told news outlets of plans to send troops to the city, but no final decision has been announced | Pentagon sources have told news outlets of plans to send troops to the city, but no final decision has been announced |
| US politics live – latest updates | US politics live – latest updates |
| Illinois Democrats on Monday condemned Donald Trump’s threat to send national guard troops to Chicago, denouncing what they called an “unconstitutional” abuse of presidential power. | |
| At an afternoon news conference in Chicago, the Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, highlighted the city’s recent reductions in crime and accused the president of manufacturing a crisis to take over a Democratic-run city. | |
| “Mr President, do not come to Chicago,” Pritzker said. “You are neither wanted here nor needed here.” | |
| Pritzker was joined by Chicago’s mayor, Brandon Johnson, the state’s attorney general, Kwame Raoul, and dozens of elected officials and city leaders who opposed Trump’s plans to bring a federal crackdown to Chicago. | |
| At an Oval Office event earlier on Monday, Trump referred to Chicago as a “killing field” and a “disaster”. | |
| “The governor of Illinois should say: ‘President, will you do us the honor of cleaning up our city. We need help,’” Trump said, as he signed a pair of executive orders aimed at ending cashless bail and banning flag burning. | |
| Speaking from the riverwalk along the Chicago river, Pritizker said: “Look around you right now. Does this look like an emergency?” | |
| 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. | 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. |
| Pritzker said that neither he nor the mayor had had any communication with the White House, but said they were prepared to take legal action if necessary to prevent Trump from sending the US military to “invade our streets and neighborhoods and disrupt the lives of everyday people”. | |
| “What President Trump is doing is unprecedented and unwarranted,” he said. “It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. It is un-American.” | |
| Speaking at the lectern, Johnson said there was still more work to do to make the city safer. But he argued that if the federal government was serious about improving public safety in Chicago, it would increase investments in programs to combat gun violence and expand mental health resources, not threaten to militarize the city’s streets. | |
| “There are those who might ask if we have seen consistent historic reductions in crime and violence across our city over the past two years, and if we are not even in the top 25 most dangerous cities, then why are we now being targeted by the Trump administration for a military occupation?” Johnson said. “We are being targeted because of what and who we represent.” | |
| 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. | 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. |
| The 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. | The 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. | “There’s no basis, no authority for Donald Trump to potentially try to drop federal troops into the city of Chicago,” Jeffries said. |
| The 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. | The 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. | 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. | 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”. | 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”. |
| A spokesperson for the Pentagon would not confirm to the Guardian whether the national guard deployment would materialize in Chicago. | A spokesperson for the Pentagon would not confirm to the Guardian whether the national guard deployment would materialize in Chicago. |
| “We won’t speculate on further operations,” a defense official said. “The Department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.” | “We won’t speculate on further operations,” a defense official said. “The Department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.” |
| 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. | 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. |