(The Center Square) – The state of Illinois is suing President Donald Trump, cabinet officials and the U.S. Army for deploying the National Guard to Illinois, but the president says the public wants to be safe.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the federal complaint Monday morning and joined Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other state and local politicians for a press conference in downtown Chicago Monday afternoon.
Raoul said the executive branch of the government has to follow the law.
“A president cannot go beyond the authority granted by Congress with regards to deploying the National Guard,” Raoul said.
The federal complaint named Trump, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Department of War, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and her department, Secretary of the U.S. Army Daniel P. Driscoll and the U.S. Army itself, claiming that the defendants have a “long history of animus” towards Illinois, Chicago and their leaders.
Raoul said the suit sought a temporary restraining order against the deployment of any National Guard troops in Illinois.
U.S. District Court Judge April M. Perry did not issue a temporary restraining order Monday but instructed the U.S. Department of Justice to respond to the state’s request for a TRO within two days or, according to Pritzker, by midnight “Wednesday night.”
Pritzker said the Trump administration has struck fear in the hearts of communities, including U.S. citizens.
“Trump and the thuggery that his agents have brought has actively made us less safe,” Pritzker said.
The president answered questions from reporters at the White House Monday and said the public feels differently.
“So you have Black women with MAGA hats on in Chicago all over the place. They want the Guard to come in, or they don’t care who comes in. They just want to be safe,” Trump said.
The president said Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson do not have crime under control.
“Not only is it not under control, it’s the opposite. I believe they’re afraid. They’re scared for their lives,” Trump said.
On Monday morning, Johnson signed the “ICE Free Zone” executive order, which he said would create mechanisms to prohibit federal immigration agents from using city-owned property in their ongoing operations in Chicago.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to a headline and said Chicago needs more law enforcement resources.
“At least 30 people shot during the weekend in Democrat-run Chicago. Five of them were killed in one weekend. This is completely unacceptable. The president wants to make American cities safer, and he’s willing to work with anyone to do it,” Leavitt said Monday afternoon.
Leavitt said state and local police in Memphis, Tennessee are working with federal authorities.
“State and local law enforcement and federal law enforcement should be working together. It’s a shame that we see in some cities across the country that their mayors are refusing to cooperate because they don’t like Donald Trump,” Leavitt said.
Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison issued a statement condemning recent failures of coordination between Chicago police command and federal agents. Morrison the issue is a “direct result of failed sanctuary policies.”
Morrison called for the suspension of sanctuary policies and an immediate halt to local sanctuary ordinances that prevent cooperation with federal agencies.
