Pritzker, Johnson to hold news conference Monday

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is scheduled to hold a news conference Monday afternoon, hour after the state on Illinois and Chicago sued to  Chicago sued to block President Trump’s deployment of National Guard members to the city.

On Saturday, Trump moved to deploy the National Guard by authorizing 300 troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson confirmed that the president authorized using the Illinois National Guard members, citing what she called “ongoing violent riots and lawlessness” that local leaders have not quelled.

The lawsuit alleges that “these advances in President Trump’s long-declared ‘War’ on Chicago and Illinois are unlawful and dangerous.”

“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,” the lawsuit says.

Pritzker said the potential deployment amounted to “Trump’s invasion” and called on Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to block it. Abbott pushed back and said the crackdown was needed to protect federal workers who are in the city as part of the president’s increased immigration enforcement.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson confirmed in a weekend statement that Trump authorized using Illinois National Guard members, citing what she called “ongoing violent riots and lawlessness” that local leaders have not quelled.

In a separate move, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he signed an executive order barring federal immigration agents and others from using city-owned property, such as parking lots, garages and vacant lots, as staging areas for enforcement operations.

Johnson will also be at the 2 p.m. news conference along with Attorney General Kwame Raoul and U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcia.