Illinois, Chicago Sue to Block Trump's Guard Deployment

Illinois and the city of Chicago sued President Trump to block the federalization and deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago under an operation called “Operation Midway Blitz,” arguing the move is an unconstitutional federal overreach. The White House and Department of Homeland Security say the troops and special teams are needed to protect ICE agents and federal facilities amid violent incidents and protests, and Texas has authorized activation of 400 Guard members to support the effort. Gov. J.B. Pritzker denounced the deployment as an “invasion,” reiterated that Illinois will not cooperate with ICE enforcement, and called the federal intervention unconstitutional. A judge had blocked a similar federal troop deployment in Portland hours earlier, and courts have given the administration a short window to respond to the Illinois-Chicago challenge. Separate civil liberties litigation accuses the government of subjecting immigrant detainees to inhumane conditions at Louisiana’s Angola prison and raises constitutional claims tied to alleged widespread “collateral arrests” and racial profiling. The dispute has intensified legal and political battles over federal immigration enforcement tactics and the use of military forces in U.S. cities.