Pritzker claims ‘unconstitutional invasion’ as state sues to block National Guard deployment

Gov. JB Pritzker denounced the Trump administration Monday for “declaring war” on Chicago, saying plans to send about 700 Illinois and Texas National Guard troops into the city are “an unconstitutional invasion.”

The state and Chicago filed a federal lawsuit Monday arguing that any deployments are illegal and fail to satisfy prerequisites for federalizing the Guard.

“There is no insurrection here,” Pritzker said. “Donald Trump is using our service members as political props and pawns in his illegal attempt to militarize our nation’s cities.”

The pushback comes amid a surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in Chicago and the suburbs that have sparked protests. ICE officers have engaged with demonstrators at a facility in west suburban Broadview, deploying tear gas and rubber bullets.

Pritzker accused ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents of inciting violence.

“Families have been snatched up off the streets, zip-tied and detained for hours, including U.S. citizens and legal residents,” he said.

U.S. District Court Judge April Perry is expected to rule Thursday on the state’s request for a preliminary injunction the prevent the White House from sending 300 Illinois and 400 Texas National Guard troops to Chicago.

Troops could be in Illinois for up to 60 days if the courts don’t block a deployment, according to the lawsuit.

Trump has blasted Chicago as “a hellhole,” and on Sept. 30 talked about “the enemy from within,” in reference to cities “run by the radical left Democrats.”

“What they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They’re very unsafe places, and we’re going to straighten them out one by one,” Trump said.

The depiction of Chicago “was just complete BS,” Pritzker said. “He clearly has decided to declare war on a great American city.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said the agency is only targeting violent criminals. She told Fox News Sunday that ICE officers were in peril from protesters.

“These individuals are shouting hateful things, threatening their families, putting their hands on them … acts of violence are occurring on a regular basis,” she said.

On Monday, Noem announced new arrests in Operation Midway Blitz and said “our brave men and women of law enforcement are being targeted and attacked by violent anarchists who seek to tear down America.”

Pritzker said he had instructed the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to investigate if children were abused or neglected during an overnight federal raid on an apartment in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood Sunday.

“Imagine a being a child awakened in the middle of night by a Blackhawk helicopter landing on your roof. Imagine an armed stranger entering your home and forcibly removing you from your bed, zip-tying your hands and separating you from your family in a dark van for hours. It happened right here in Chicago,” Pritzker said.

He also questioned the presence of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents assisting ICE.

“They have declared that the border is at the shores of Lake Michigan; that doesn’t seem right to me,” Pritzker said.

The governor was flanked by federal, state and local leaders, including Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, and U.S. Reps. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia of Chicago, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, and Brad Schneider of Highland Park.

“The president of the United States has turned the power of government against its own people,” said Garcia, whose district stretches from Lawndale in Chicago to the DuPage County suburbs. “In my community — ground zero for these attacks — ICE has created a constant state of siege.”

The state’s lawsuit argues that “the American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor.”

“To guard against this, foundational principles of American law limit the president’s authority to involve the military in domestic affairs,” according to the suit. “Those bedrock principles are in peril.”

The lawsuit cites separate orders by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calling out both the Illinois and Texas Guard units. Texas Gov. Greg Abbot said on X: “you can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it.”

Pritzker said he was not consulted in either case and asked Abbot to rescind his approval.

Texas, “should stay the hell out of Illinois. We do not need troops from some other place being sent into the state of Illinois or any troops,” Pritzker said. He added, “I have great affection for the Illinois National Guard, they do excellent work.”

Oregon filed a similar lawsuit to prevent its National Guard being activated in Portland amid protests. A federal judge temporarily blocked the action, although Oregon’s governor reported Sunday about 100 troops from California were in the city.