Illinois sued the Trump administration on Monday to block National Guard troops from deploying in Chicago amid a sweeping illegal immigration crackdown.
“Defendants’ deployment of federalized troops to Illinois is patently unlawful,” the suit which includes President Trump, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and US Army Secretary Daniel Driscol claims in part.
The suit is seeking emergency injunctive relief to stop the “illegal, dangerous, and unconstitutional federalization of members of the National Guard of the United States, including both the Illinois and Texas National Guard.”
The lawsuit filing comes 48 hours after Trump authorized the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard members to Chicago to help “protect federal officers and assets,” mirroring a strategy implemented during June’s anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles which grew into violent riots.
The state alleges Trump and his Cabinet officials named in the suit have violated 10 U.S.C. § 12406 — which governs circumstances under which National Guard troops can be deployed federally — as well as the Posse Comitatus Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and several provisions of the US Constitution.
“The Trump administration’s illegal actions already have subjected and are subjecting Illinois to serious and irreparable harm,” the suit claims.
“The deployment of federalized National Guard, including from another state, infringes on Illinois’s sovereignty and right to self-governance. It will cause only more unrest, including harming social fabric and community relations and increasing the mistrust of police.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker raged about the mobilization in his state over the weekend, calling it “Trump’s invasion” and encouraging “every American to speak up to help stop this madness.”On Saturday in Chicago, federal immigration agents were surrounded and menaced by a raging mob of ICE protesters, who attacked and rammed their vehicles before boxing them in, according to DHS.
The agents were on patrol around 15 miles from the anti-ICE protests that have since last month roiled the Windy City suburb of Broadview, home to a processing center for the immigration agency.
The CPD came under fire after dispatcher audio appeared to reveal officers being ordered to stand down rather than answer a distress call put out by the federal agents under siege.
Illinois’ suit follows similar legal filings in recent days by fellow blue states California and Oregon, where protests have been going on at Portland’s ICE office for more than 100 days and nights.
US District Judge Karin Immergut ruled late Sunday that the administration’s order to deploy National Guard troops to Portland was unlawful and unconstitutional
During a White House briefing Monday afternoon, press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Immergut’s opinion “untethered in reality and in the law” and defended Trump’s legal authority to call up the guard “in cases where he deems it appropriate.”
Leavitt said the administration is appealing the decision, and that the White House is “confident we will win on the merits of the law.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the president’s deployment in a statement to The Post.
“Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step in to quell, President Trump has exercised his lawful authority to protect federal officers and assets. President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.”
The White House X account Rapid Response 47 blasted Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as “sick” over an executive order he signed Sept. 29 establishing “ICE Free Zones” that prohibit agents from setting foot on city property.
“This is SICK. He is aiding and abetting criminal illegal immigrant killers, rapists, traffickers, and gang bangers,” the account said.
