Pritzker claims National Guard deployment to Chicago is 'Trump's invasion'

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker revealed on Sunday that President Donald Trump has ordered 400 Texas National Guard troops for deployments to Illinois and other states. Pritzker said that one of the states that could see deployment of the Texas National Guard was Oregon; however, an Oregon judge issued an order on Sunday night blocking any National Guard troops from any other states from being deployed to Oregon.

"This evening, President Trump is ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard for deployments to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States. No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate," Pritzker said in a statement.

"We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion. It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops.

"I call on Governor Abbott to immediately withdraw any support for this decision and refuse to coordinate. There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation. The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props. This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness," Pritzker concluded.

In an order on Sunday, US District Judge Karin Immergut issued an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the Trump administration from deploying federalized members of the National Guard to Oregon. The order came after California sued over the deployment of National Guard members within the state to Oregon.

The Trump administration also plans to deploy 300 Illinois National Guard troops to the Chicago region. A memo sent from Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth to Illinois National Guard leadership obtained by the Chicago Tribune stated that the troops would be in the Chicago area for at least 60 days.

The memo stated that guard members would protect ICE and other federal government personnel "who are performing Federal functions, including the enforcement of Federal law, and to protect Federal property, at locations where violent demonstrations against these functions are occurring or are likely to occur based on current threat assessments and planned operations."