Illinois and Chicago Sue to Block Trump Deployment of National Guard
The state of Illinois and the city of Chicago have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to block the deployment of the National Guard to the city. The lawsuit, which was filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, claims that the deployment is “patently unlawful” and would put the citizens of Chicago under the threat of occupation by the United States military.
The lawsuit comes after a federal memo obtained by CBS News revealed that up to 300 members of the Illinois National Guard would be federalized and deployed to “protect federal property” and “government personnel performing federal functions.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker confirmed the memo and stated that he had also been informed that an additional 400 National Guard members from Texas would be deployed to Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
Background on the Deployment
This is not the first time that President Trump has used the National Guard to respond to protests. In the spring, he deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests. The use of the National Guard in this manner has raised concerns about the militarization of law enforcement and the potential for the suppression of peaceful protests.
A federal judge has already temporarily blocked the deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, citing concerns about the potential for violence and the impact on the city’s residents. The lawsuit filed by Illinois and Chicago is seeking a similar injunction to block the deployment of the National Guard to their city.
Reaction from Illinois Officials
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul have been vocal in their opposition to the deployment of the National Guard to Chicago. In a statement, Pritzker said that the deployment was “unacceptable” and that he would do everything in his power to prevent it. Raoul stated that the deployment would be “illegal, dangerous, and unconstitutional” and that he was committed to protecting the rights of the citizens of Illinois.
Pritzker and Raoul are scheduled to hold a news conference on Monday to discuss the lawsuit and the deployment of the National Guard. The news conference will be streamed live on CBS News Chicago’s 24/7 news stream and on air.
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