Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Saturday sharply criticized the Trump administration after being informed that 300 Illinois National Guard members would be federalized to respond to recent unrest near a federal immigration facility in Broadview.
“This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker said in a written statement. “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 federalization order. Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the administration, said President Trump — now serving his second term — had authorized the deployment “to protect federal officers and assets” amid what she described as “ongoing violent riots and lawlessness that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to quell.”
Protests, Arrests, and a Controversial Shooting Intensify Tensions
The move comes as protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview have intensified over the past two weeks. More than a dozen protesters have been arrested, including seven on Friday, according to local reports.
Federal officials said the deployment was prompted in part by an incident Saturday in which a woman was shot after federal agents’ vehicles were surrounded. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported the shooting occurred in Broadview, though local police later claimed the address corresponded to Brighton Park. The conflicting accounts have added to public confusion and outrage.
On Friday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Border Patrol official Greg Bovino were in Chicago overseeing ICE operations. Their presence coincided with rising concern among local leaders that the federal government was preparing to intervene more aggressively in Illinois law enforcement affairs.
Pritzker Rejects Troop Deployment, Accuses Trump of Political Theater
Pritzker, a Democrat, rejected the move outright, insisting that the situation does not warrant military intervention. “There is no need for military troops on the ground in the State of Illinois,” he said. “State, county, and local law enforcement have been working together to ensure public safety and to protect people’s ability to peacefully exercise their constitutional rights.”
The governor accused President Trump of using the situation as a political tool. “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,” Pritzker said. “For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.”
Earlier in the week, Pritzker had disclosed that the Trump administration was seeking to deploy 100 troops to “protect” ICE facilities. He also renewed his call for the invocation of the 25th Amendment after President Trump reportedly told senior military leaders that cities like Chicago should serve as “training grounds” for troops.
“As a state, we will do everything within our power to look out for our neighbors, uphold the Constitution, and defend the rule of law,” the governor added.
Opitanglobamedia news reported that requests for comment from the Illinois National Guard and the Attorney General’s Office have not yet been returned.
