Erica Siaulnski, Staff Writer
On Monday, October 6th, both the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois sued the Trump administration over the decision to deploy federal troops into the state. Trump’s decision to do this was due to its excessive crime, after having its summer with the fewest murders in sixty years. Citizens of Illinois were unhappy with the decision made by the President, and protests have been held across the state in response.
The lawsuit followed two days after President Trump announced that 300 National Guard troops would be deployed into the state. The lawsuit was opened, and amidst other legal issues facing the country at the moment, after troops were just blocked from entering Portland, Oregon. Judge April Perry decided against blocking troops from the National Guard from entering Illinois.
On Tuesday, October 7th, troops were deployed to the state’s military base under President Trump’s order. Despite the objections of both local officials and citizens. This is reportedly ahead of schedule and not welcome by most of the state. Many point out the legality of this and how unofficial and unlawful this action is. Within the lawsuit, the words “there is no legal or factual justification” describe the National Guard’s deployment to the state. Both Chicago and Illinois have already seen an increase in federal agents, followed by National Guard members.
Some are concerned with the presence of National Troops, pointing out the violence that can arise from their presence and their actions against others, while others feel that it provides more security and safety to these cities. On Tuesday, the day of their arrival, the National Guard detained one person around 4 pm, the reason remaining unclear.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is fully against the deployment and signed an executive order that stated there would be ICE-free zones and limited where federal agents could enter the city. In an attempt to protect citizens. In a statement he wrote, “its broader goal is to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of all Chicago residents while reinforcing the city’s commitment to trust-based public safety.”
With a decrease in violent crime across the U.S. in recent years, the constant deployment of troops across the U.S. seems unreasonable and a waste of resources. Public officials have pointed this out, and have been met with no answers. Trump has announced that he has plans to send troops into eight other democratic led cities across the country, with no set plan on how to execute that.
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