Chicago Sues Trump Administration For Deploying 300 National Guard Trips To City

Last Updated:October 06, 2025, 21:55 IST

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago’s Mayor filed a lawsuit to stop the Donald Trump administration from sending hundreds of National Guard troops to Chicago.

US President Donald Trump (Image Credit: Reuters)

Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit on Monday, aiming to stop the Donald Trump administration from sending hundreds of National Guard troops to Chicago. Trump approved the deployment of 300 troops on Saturday to control what he described as out-of-control crime.

“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 favour,” said the lawsuit.

“Illinois is taking the Trump Administration to court for their unlawful and unconstitutional deployment of military troops to our state,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who has slammed Trump’s deployment plans in Democrat-run cities and called it an abuse of power.

The lawsuit also accuses Trump, DHS, ICE, Border Patrol and several of these agencies’ national and local leaders of unleashing a campaign of violence and intimidation against peaceful protesters and journalists during weeks of demonstrations outside an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois.

Federal agents have repeatedly fired tear gas, pepper balls and other projectiles at crowds, and arrested at least seven people on federal charges as some protesters have tried to block vehicles from going in or out, part of growing pushback to the immigration enforcement surge.

Chicago Mayor Blocks ICE Operations

Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday signed an executive order prohibiting the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies from using city property for civil immigration enforcement. This order prohibits federal authorities from using city-owned or controlled parking lots, vacant lots and garages as staging areas, as per CBS News.

“Our school parking lots are not for ICE to load their weapons. They are for Chicago, who drop their kids off to learn,” Johnson said. “Our libraries are not for ICE to prepare for a raid. They’re for Chicagoans to read and relax. Our Parks are not for ICE to set up checkpoints. They’re for Chicagoans to play and enjoy.”

“We have a rogue, reckless group of heavily armed, masked individuals roaming throughout our city that are not accountable to the people of Chicago. Their actions put all Chicagoans at risk,” Johnson said while announcing the executive order.

What’s Happening In Chicago?

The Trump administration has described Chicago as a “war zone” in an effort to justify deploying federal troops to the city, despite strong opposition from local Democratic leaders. Calling the decision “Trump’s invasion,” Pritzker earlier said there was “no reason” for federal troops to enter the state without coordination with local authorities.

Hours before Trump’s deployment, US Border Patrol agents shot an armed woman in Chicago as scores of protesters faced off against federal immigration agents in the city. No officers were seriously injured when the woman and others rammed cars into vehicles used by ICE agents, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Meanwhile, in Portland, a US District Court judge issued a temporary block on a similar troop deployment. Judge Karin Immergut ruled that the White House had failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify military intervention. “This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law,” she wrote.

About the Author

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More

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