Pritzker Says Trump Is Deploying 100 Guard Troops to Illinois

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said that the state’s National Guard has been formally notified of a federal request to deploy 100 troops to protect immigration officers and facilities, in the latest expansion of the Trump administration’s use of military resources in US cities.

“Moments ago, the Illinois National Guard received word that the Department of Homeland Security has sent a memo to the Department of War, seeking the deployment of 100 military troops to Illinois, claiming the need for the protection of ICE personnel and facilities,” Pritzker told reporters on Monday.

The step came after weeks of uncertainty in Chicago, where residents and local officials had been preparing for action as President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to send federal forces. It follows Trump’s announcement of a separate order over the weekend to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, where protests have flared outside federal immigration facilities. In a Truth Social post, Trump described Portland as “war ravaged” and said he was authorizing “full force, if necessary.”

A spokesperson in the Department of Defense, which Trump has signed an executive order to rename the Department of War, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Illinois deployment would be at least the fifth of its kind this year, either announced or activated, following earlier orders sending Guard units to Los Angeles and Washington, DC. 

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, has said troops and personnel from several federal agencies will start arriving in Memphis this week. California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom successfully challenged one deployment in court, though the White House is appealing.

Pritzker has denounced the federal action as “intentionally creating chaos.” Last week protesters rallied outside an ICE detention center in Broadview, west of Chicago, where immigration officers used tear gas on demonstrators.

Oregon’s Democratic leaders have also rejected Trump’s order. Governor Tina Kotek said she told the president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem there was “no insurrection” or “legal justification” for troops, while Portland Mayor Keith Wilson accused Trump of trying to inflame tensions.

With assistance from Myles Miller.

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