National Guard troops report to Illinois as lawsuit against Trump administration seeks to halt their deployment

CHICAGO (AP/WGN) — Hundreds of Illinois National Guard troops reported for duty in the Chicago area Tuesday morning, and they’ll be joined by members of the Texas National Guard for what the Trump administration is calling a “federal protective mission.”

It’s not yet clear when they might be seen on the streets, however, after the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois sued the Trump administration Monday to block the federalization of National Guard troops from the two states.

On Tuesday at City Hall, Mayor Brandon Johnson said that if Congress won’t hold the Trump administration accountable, then Chicago will.

A federal judge, after denying the city and state’s request to temporarily stop the National Guard troops from coming to Illinois, will make a ruling on the case Thursday.

“The federal government is out of control,” Johnson said Tuesday. “This is one of the most dangerous times in our nation’s history. An unhinged, double-minded, simple-minded man who is not being held accountable.”

Attorneys from both parties confirmed that federalized members of the Texas National Guard boarded a plane heading to Illinois on Monday afternoon, while 300 Illinois National Guard members received orders to report Tuesday morning for training.

The White House says National Guard members will be used to protect federal property and immigration agents amid what it calls “violent riots and lawlessness” in Chicago.

In response to President Donald Trump’s plan, state and city officials came together Monday to announce their efforts to push back with their lawsuit.

While a federal judge had reservations about the Trump administration’s arguments, she denied the state and city’s request to temporarily stop National Guard troops from coming to Illinois, as a court did in Oregon to block California National Guard troops from deploying to that state.

The judge has given the Trump administration until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to answer her questions about the case and will then hear oral arguments Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, Trump said he would consider going around the courts by using the Insurrection Act if judges block him from deploying the National Guard.

In the court filing, the state said the Trump administration has subjected Illinois to serious and irreparable harm, infringing upon Illinois’ sovereignty and right to self-governance. The suit named Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll as defendants.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker held a news conference Monday afternoon, hours after the state and city sued to block Trump’s deployment of National Guard members to the city.

To make his point about the militarization of the federal operations, Pritzker played a full Homeland Security video of the federal raid on an apartment building in South Shore last week. Everyone in the building was woken up in the middle of the night as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents searched for unauthorized immigrants, people suspected of drug trafficking, and weapons crimes, ultimately arresting 37 people.

“There is no invasion here, there is no insurrection here,” Pritzker said Monday. “Local and state law enforcement are on the job, managing what they need to. Without my permission and against my vigorous objection, the president has federalized 300 Illinois National Guard military troops and hundreds of National Guard members from Texas.”

Johnson also spoke at Monday’s news conference, along with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia of Illinois’ 4th District, and other elected officials.

“With (Monday’s) litigation, we send a message to the president: Chicago will not be used as a political prop, Chicago will not be intimidated, and we will not be silent,” Johnson said.

“It’s never been about immigrants, it’s about controlling our communities — brown, Asian, Black, and everyone who is Chicagoland,” Garcia added.

In a separate action earlier Monday, Johnson signed an “ICE-Free Zones” 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.

“We’re clear about what we’re supposed to do,” the mayor said Tuesday. “The issue is the federal government isn’t.”

‘Unlawful and dangerous’

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.

Monday’s 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 in the area, which the Trump administration calls “Operation Midway Blitz.”

‘Chicago will be saved’

Amid the ongoing battle, FBI Director Kash Patel indicated that he may be heading to Chicago on Tuesday as the city gears up for an influx of National Guard troops.

“Chicago will be saved, and this FBI will continue to crush violent crime there, and all around the country. Heading to the Windy City now,” Patel said in a post shared on X on Tuesday morning.

It remains unclear if Patel meant he was traveling to Chicago or if he was speaking broadly about the deployment of federal troops.