CHICAGO (WLS) — Anticipation is building for the expected surge in National Guard troops and ICE agents in Chicago
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The only question now is when.
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“We are going in,” stated President Donald Trump. “I didn’t specify when we are going in…If the governor of Illinois would reach out — if he contacted me, I would appreciate it. However, we plan to proceed regardless.”
Illinois Democratic Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, alongside other lawmakers from Illinois, gathered in Washington DC on Wednesday morning to address the president’s intended operations in Chicago.
“It’s about exerting control,” noted Congresswoman Ramirez. “It’s about threatening diverse, thriving Democratic-led cities like Chicago that stand firm against authoritarianism.”
Along with Ramirez, Illinois Congressman Chuy Garcia and Senator Dick Durbin are calling out the legality of Trump’s use of guardsmen.
“This escalation is not about public safety or maintaining law and order,” remarked Garcia, (D, Chicago). “It’s a move for authoritarian power that bears significant consequences, specifically targeting and profiling working-class, immigrant, and Brown communities.”
“They are deploying troops, reportedly into federal facilities like the Great Lakes Naval Training Station,” stated Senator Dick Durbin (D, IL). “I’ve reached out to the secretary of the Navy for a briefing on exactly what is occurring at this pivotal federal site in the Great Lakes area that serves Chicago and the larger region.”
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Governor JB Pritzker mentions that some federal agents are being reassigned from immigration duties in Los Angeles, while the Texas National Guard is getting ready for a deployment to Chicago.
Pritzker says deploying the National Guard and more immigration agents to Chicago is unnecessary.
In a statement Cook Commissioner Sean Morrison responded to Pritzker’s claims, writing in part, “Most citizens, real parents, workers, families, support the rule of law and want safe communities. This should not be controversial. Asking for calm, empathy, and operational collaboration with federal law enforcement is reasonable and responsible.”
While Republican state Representative Martin McLaughlin says he’s questioning why people are weary of National Guard troops in the city.
“I’m trying to understand why an American in uniform standing on a street corner trying to protect other Americans is a threat to anyone,” Representative McLaughlin said. “I think it is a threat to those that have failed.”
North suburban Evanston’s Human Service Committee also just passed a resolution calling on Congress to ban federal agents from wearing masks.
ABC7 reached out for comment, but did not hear back.
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