Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued a strong statement on Saturday regarding the Trump administration’s plan to federalize 300 Illinois National Guard members. The governor revealed that he was presented with an ultimatum concerning troop deployment.
“This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker said. “It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.”
The White House later confirmed the plan. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, told CBS News, “Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step in to quell, President Trump has authorized 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets. President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.”
This announcement comes amid tense clashes between protesters and federal agents in Broadview, Illinois. In the past couple of weeks, over a dozen protesters have been arrested in the area, including seven on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that a woman was shot on Saturday in Broadview after federal agents’ vehicles were boxed in. However, police indicated the shooting occurred in Brighton Park, citing the incident’s address.
Governor Pritzker criticized the move, stating, “They will pull hardworking Americans out of their regular jobs and away from their families all to participate in a manufactured performance—not a serious effort to protect public safety. For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.”
On Friday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Border Patrol official Greg Bovino were in Chicago overseeing ICE operations. In response, Pritzker emphasized, “I want to be clear: there is no need for military troops on the ground in the State of Illinois. State, county, and local law enforcement have been working together and coordinating to ensure public safety around the Broadview ICE facility, and to protect people’s ability to peacefully exercise their constitutional rights. I will not call up our National Guard to further Trump’s acts of aggression against our people.”
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Pritzker noted that the Trump administration sought to deploy 100 troops to protect ICE facilities in Illinois. He also called for the invocation of the 25th Amendment after reports emerged that the president told senior military leaders, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, that cities like Chicago should serve as “training grounds” for troops.
“In Illinois, we will do everything within our power to look out for our neighbors, uphold the Constitution, and defend the rule of law,” Pritzker affirmed.
CBS News Chicago has reached out to the Illinois National Guard and the Attorney General’s Office for comment but has yet to receive a response.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pritzker-trump-administration-federalize-illinois-national-guard-members/
