Illinois and Chicago have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging the federal government’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago. The lawsuit, submitted Monday in a US District Court, argues that the move is “unlawful, dangerous, and unconstitutional,” escalating tensions between state leaders and the White House over the handling of ongoing protests and public safety.The legal complaint specifically targets the administration’s decision to federalize National Guard units, including troops from both Illinois and Texas. According to the lawsuit, “Defendants’ deployment of federalized troops to Illinois is patently unlawful.” Attorneys for Illinois and Chicago are asking the court to immediately halt the move and to declare the broader practice of federalizing state National Guard members without consent illegal.
Illinois and Chicago Sue Trump Administration Over National Guard Deployment
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a frequent critic of Trump, strongly condemned the decision. He described the deployment as a political stunt, comparing it to an “invasion” of state sovereignty. State leaders argue that the deployment bypasses state authority and was motivated not by security concerns but by partisan targeting of Democrat-led cities.The lawsuit comes just two days after the White House confirmed that President Donald Trump had authorized the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard members to Chicago to protect federal officers and assets. The move mirrors earlier federal actions in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, where National Guard troops were sent to suppress protests against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In addition, the administration revealed plans to send 400 members of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, Oregon, and other states. This sparked even more backlash from Democratic governors and local officials, who accused the White House of escalating tensions rather than addressing community concerns. The legal filing argues that the Trump administration’s decision was politically motivated. It points to the president’s history of derogatory and threatening remarks about Illinois and Chicago, claiming that the deployment was less about protecting assets and more about scoring political points.
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The defendants named in the case include President Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Lawyers for Illinois and Chicago insist the federal government has no constitutional authority to override state control of its National Guard without proper justification. The Illinois lawsuit follows a similar case in Oregon, where officials challenged federalized deployments of National Guard troops to Portland. A Trump-appointed federal judge on Sunday temporarily blocked the administration’s effort to send guard units from across the US into Portland, giving momentum to Illinois’ legal push.
As the case moves forward, the outcome could set a precedent for how much power the federal government holds in ordering National Guard deployments against the will of individual states. For Illinois and Chicago, the lawsuit represents both a legal and political stand against what they see as an overreach of federal authority.
