President Trump plans to take control of 300 of his state's National Guard troops, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Saturday, saying the president presented him with an ultimatum to call up the troops himself or have the federal government do it. Pritzker described the federal order as "outrageous and un-American," Politico reports, saying in a statement that political control—not public safety—is behind it. He said the Guard was told of the callup on Saturday by the Pentagon, per the AP.
"I will not call up our National Guard to further Trump's acts of aggression against our people," Pritzker said, per USA Today. "Illinois, we will do everything within our power to look out for our neighbors, uphold the Constitution, and defend the rule of law." The governor's statement did not identify where the troops would be sent, but Trump has threatened to wage war on Chicago. He's said he intends to use troops to combat crime there while criticizing the city and its leadership, as well as Pritzker. The White House has not commented on the specifics of the planned deployment.
Federal law typically restricts the use of the military for domestic law enforcement, per Politico, but Trump has deployed National Guard forces to cities including Los Angeles, Washington, and Portland, often over the objections of local leaders. In several instances, these deployments have prompted legal challenges on the grounds that they overstep presidential authority. Chicago officials have reportedly been preparing for a federal deployment, drawing on plans devised for last year's Democratic National Convention.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
