Democratic Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois has criticized the Trump administration for deploying federalized National Guard troops from Texas to ‘invade’ states with liberal leadership.
In a late-night post on X on Sunday, Pritzker shared that 400 Texas National Guard members would be sent to Illinois, Oregon, and other areas to address anti-ICE protests and what Trump terms his war on crime.
“We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion,” Pritzker stated. “No federal officials reached out to me to discuss or coordinate directly.”
“It began with federal agents, will soon involve the federalized Illinois National Guard without our consent, and now includes troops from another state’s military,” he added.
Following his statement, a late-night court session in Oregon revealed that Judge Karin Immergut, appointed by Trump, blocked the deployment of federalized National Guard members from any state to Portland.
Trump has intensified his focus on states led by liberal governors, claiming on Sunday that Oregon is “burning to the ground” and labeling Chicago, Illinois as the “world’s most dangerous city.”
Pritzker had called on Texas Republican Governor Greg 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,’ Pritzker added.
Pritzker revealed 400 members of the Texas National Guard will be deployed to Illinois and Oregon
Protests have gripped the streets in Oregon (pictured) since Trump announced he would deploy the National Guard
‘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.’
Abbott confirmed on Sunday he had authorized the call-up. ‘You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it,’ he wrote on X.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has also condemned Trump’s actions, after it was revealed that 200 members of California’s already federalized National Guard were being sent to Oregon after a judge temporarily blocked Trump’s efforts to federalize local troops.
Newsom warned back in June that other states would soon be targeted as he battled to block Trump’s plan to federalize his troops to respond to anti immigration enforcement riots on the streets.
On Sunday, he called the deployment ‘a breathtaking abuse of the law and power’ and warned: ‘The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens.’
California and Oregon joined forces to sue the administration in an effort to block the deployment, and late on Sunday U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut gave them a temporary victory.
She temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying any National Guard units to Oregon, including the California National Guard.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield had argued that Trump was seeking to circumvent an order Judge Immergut made on Saturday blocking the deployment of the Oregon National Guard.
Federal agents, including members of the Department of Homeland Security, and the Border Patrol, hold back protesters while deploying a smoke grenade outside a downtown U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility
Trump is particularly cracking down on states run by liberal governors, claiming on Sunday that Oregon is ‘burning to the ground’ after describing Chicago , Illinois as the ‘world’s most dangerous city’
She had dismissed Trump’s assessment of the city as ‘war-ravaged’ and issued the temporary order pending further arguments.
She said the relatively small protests did not justify the use of federalized forces and allowing the deployment could harm Oregon´s state sovereignty.
‘What was unlawful yesterday is unlawful today,’ Rayfield said. ‘The judge’s order was not some minor procedural point for the president to work around, like my 14-year-old does when he doesn’t like my answers.’
Rayfield added that Oregon ‘will absolutely not be a party to the president’s attempt to normalize the use of the United States military in our American cities.’
A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed about 200 federalized members of the California National Guard who had been on duty around Los Angeles were being reassigned to Portland.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said about 100 arrived Saturday and around 100 more were en route Sunday.
Kotek said there had been no formal communication with the federal government about the deployment.
She said the latest move by federal officials is an attempt to circumvent Saturday’s court ruling that blocked deployment of Oregon’s guard members.
Federal agents stepped in to detain a protester outside an Illinois ICE processing facility as Trump ramped up law enforcement presence
Protesters have also gathered this weekend in Chicago, Illinois, as locals rail against Trump and ICE
Trump deployed the California National Guard to Oregon in an effort to circumvent a court order
‘The facts on the ground in Oregon haven´t changed,’ Kotek said during a news conference Sunday.
‘There’s no need for military intervention in Oregon. There’s no insurrection in Portland, there´s no threat to national security.’
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has recently been the site of nightly protests.
The protest was relatively small and localized to just one block of the city of 650,000 residents, Kotek said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the president is ‘specifically targeting cities that lean Democratic’ or have leaders and residents who speak out against the administration’s abuses of power.
