Illinois Challenges National Guard Deployment Amid Federal Tensions/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Illinois is preparing for a potential National Guard deployment as it sues to block President Trump’s plan to send troops to Chicago. Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson decry the lack of federal transparency and call the action politically motivated. The federal court has scheduled a hearing on the lawsuit challenging the deployment.
National Guard Deployment Quick Looks
- Illinois braces for 300 state troops, plus 400 from Texas
- Trump’s plan faces legal opposition from Illinois and Chicago
- Chicago Mayor cites lack of communication from federal officials
- Federal judge orders quick response from Trump administration
- ACLU files separate suit over alleged protester mistreatment
- DHS defends actions, denies First Amendment violation
- Troop deployment linked to broader immigration enforcement push
- Violent crime in Chicago and Portland has declined
- Trump considers invoking Insurrection Act
- Oregon judge already blocked similar deployment
Deep Look: Illinois Legal Fight Over National Guard Deployment Escalates
CHICAGO — As tensions rise over federal intervention in major U.S. cities, Illinois is preparing for the possible deployment of the National Guard to Chicago—while simultaneously battling the plan in federal court. The move, announced by President Donald Trump, has drawn sharp criticism from state leaders and set the stage for a high-stakes legal showdown.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that approximately 300 Illinois National Guard members could be federalized and sent to Chicago, alongside 400 troops from Texas. Pritzker condemned the deployment, stating that Trump is using troops as “political props” and treating them like “pawns” in a larger political strategy aimed at portraying Democratic-led cities as out of control.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson echoed the frustration, accusing the federal government of withholding key information from city leadership.
“That is what is so difficult about this moment,” Johnson said. “You have an administration that is refusing to cooperate with a local authority.”
The tension between state and federal officials intensified Monday when Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted an image of National Guard members boarding a plane. Though he did not disclose their destination, the post fueled concerns that a large-scale military deployment is imminent.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago jointly filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the troop deployment, arguing that it violates constitutional boundaries and represents an unlawful escalation of federal force. A federal judge has given the Trump administration two days to respond and has scheduled a court hearing for Thursday.
The lawsuit frames the move as part of what it calls President Trump’s long-declared “war” on Chicago and Illinois. “These advances,” the suit states, “are unlawful and dangerous.”
Trump has defended his actions by framing them as part of a national security effort, particularly targeting cities he claims are overrun by crime and illegal immigration. He has also floated the idea of invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law that allows presidents to deploy military force domestically under specific conditions.
“If I had to enact it — I’d do that,” Trump stated Monday. “If people were being killed, and courts were holding us up, or governors or mayors were holding us up.”
This aggressive federal posture has already been met with resistance in other states. Over the weekend, a judge in Oregon temporarily blocked the deployment of troops to Portland, a city that has been a flashpoint in Trump’s broader immigration crackdown. In that case, local officials also argued that military intervention was both unnecessary and inflammatory.
In Chicago, tensions are further heightened by a visible federal presence. Armed Border Patrol agents have been seen making arrests in areas with large immigrant populations, deepening unease among Latino residents. In response, Mayor Johnson signed an executive order on Monday banning federal immigration agents from using city-owned properties as staging grounds for enforcement actions.
Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois has launched a separate lawsuit against the federal government. The suit alleges a “campaign of violence” was unleashed against peaceful demonstrators and journalists outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, a suburb of Chicago.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, dismissed the ACLU’s claims, stating that the First Amendment does not protect “rioting.”
Oregon’s Portland ICE facility, which has been the site of ongoing protests for months, saw increased turnout over the weekend following the announcement of troop deployments. Federal agents reportedly used tear gas to disperse the larger crowds.
Despite the Trump administration’s rhetoric, data suggests that violent crime has declined in both Chicago and Portland. In Portland, homicides dropped 51% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Similarly, Chicago experienced a 31% decrease in homicides, with 278 cases reported through August.
Trump’s current term has seen repeated attempts to deploy military forces in U.S. cities. In addition to Chicago and Portland, he has sent or considered sending troops to at least 10 cities, including Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, New Orleans, Baltimore, Memphis, and Washington, D.C.
A previous court ruling in September found that the administration had “willfully” violated federal law when deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles during protests against immigration raids.
As the legal battle plays out in Illinois, all eyes are on the federal courts—and the potential consequences of a precedent-setting decision on domestic military deployments.
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