Duckworth Joins Pritzker, Illinois Leaders to Reject Trump’s Military Deployment Plans

[CHICAGO, IL] — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Governor JB Pritzker and elected officials, business, faith and education leaders, community advocates and law enforcement leaders to condemn the Trump administration’splanto deploy the National Guard or active-duty military in Chicago despite objections from state and local leadership. After witnessing weeks of federal overreach from Washington, a broad coalition of leaders from across the city gathered to present a united front and denounce Trump’s abuse of power. Photos from today’s event are available on theSenator’s website.
“It comes as no surprise Donald Trump is once again attacking Chicago, but that doesn’t change that Trump’s continuing pattern of politicizing and misusing our nation’s military for his own partisan gain and to crush dissent is deeply disturbing, is un-American and has no place in any of our cities,”said Duckworth.“Forcing the military, uninvited, into Chicago to intimidate Americans in their own communities does not make our nation stronger, it simply distracts the military from executing its core mission of keeping Americans safe from real adversaries who wish us harm. It’s yet another unwarranted, unwanted and unjust move straight out of the authoritarian’s playbook that will only undermine our military’s readiness and ultimately weaken our national security.”
"There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention that will disrupt the daily lives of our people. What President Trump is doing is unprecedented and unwarranted. It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. And it is un-American,”said Pritzker.“Our civilian police force and elected leaders work every day to promote public safety – efforts that have successfully brought down crime. The State of Illinois is ready to stand against this military deployment with every peaceful tool we have. We will pull every lever at our disposal to protect the people of Illinois and their rights.”
During the press conference, Governor Pritzker emphasized that the City of Chicago is not in a state of emergency, refuting Trump’s false claim that the National Guard must be deployed for public safety purposes.
Chicago’s homicide rate has decreased by more than 30 percent since last year, and the State regularly collaborates with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with the shared goal of addressing serious violent crime. Law enforcement leaders and local elected officials at the press conference highlighted Chicago's existing and effective public safety measures, including improved law enforcement training and numerous community violence intervention programs.
Leaders in Attendance:
Elected Officials
Law Enforcement & Emergency Management Leaders
Business Leaders
Community Organization and Faith Leaders
Education Leaders

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