President Trump has announced the deployment of 400 Texas National Guard troops to Illinois, Oregon, and other regions as waves of anti-ICE demonstrators continue to confront federal agents, according to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s statement on Sunday evening.
In his remarks, the Democrat criticized Trump’s decision, labeling it an “invasion” and sharing this response just hours after the president deployed 300 California National Guard troops to Portland, where protests have persisted for more than 100 days at an immigration detention facility — a similar situation that has unfolded in Chicago since September.
Pritzker expressed his discontent with the plan, noting that federal officials had failed to consult him regarding the troop deployment.
“We must begin to refer to this appropriately: Trump’s Invasion,” the governor stated in a tweet, urging “every American to raise their voice and help put an end to this chaos.”
“It commenced with federal agents, and soon it will encompass deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our will, excluding the involvement of another state’s military. I urge [Texas] Governor [Greg] Abbott to instantly retract any support for this decision and refrain from cooperating.”
Pritzker condemned Trump for seeking to send federal troops to a “sovereign state” without consent, accusing the president of using the National Guard for “political theatrics.”
The White House did not respond promptly to requests for comments from The Post.
Anti-ICE protests have surged in Chicago since the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement initiated “Operation Midway Blitz” last month, aimed at targeting criminal immigrants who officials claim have come to the city seeking refuge under its “sanctuary policies.”
This immigration enforcement initiative has faced resistance from Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and other high-profile local Democrats.
However, in spite of their protests, incidents of unrest have escalated, with vehicles reportedly being used to launch attacks on ICE agents in the Chicago area, according to reports from the Department of Homeland Security, which documented that agents were targeted on multiple occasions earlier in the week.
U.S. Border Patrol agents patrolling near Chicago’s South Side on Saturday opened fire and injured a woman — who was later discovered to be armed — as a mob attempted to assault the federal officers.
The officers were approximately 15 miles from an ICE processing center in Broadview, a locale known for its civil unrest, when they were ambushed.
Over a dozen protesters have reportedly been arrested near the ICE facility since Friday, as noted by Fox News.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who arrived in Illinois on Friday morning, labeled Chicago a “war zone” during an appearance on “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday.
Noem also claimed that Chicago city officials have obstructed federal law enforcement, including Border Patrol and ICE agents, from accessing public restrooms in the city.
On Friday, she was denied entry to a government building in Broadview when she requested to use the restroom, she recounted.
