Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused the Trump administration of launching an "invasion" of liberal states using federalized military forces.
Democratic Governor JB Pritzker revealed that 400 Texas National Guard members will be deployed to Illinois and Oregon to address anti-ICE protesters and Trump's crime crackdown. The announcement came through a late-night social media post on Sunday, according to the Daily Mail.
Pritzker characterized the deployment as "Trump's Invasion" and criticized the lack of federal coordination with state officials. No federal representatives contacted him directly to discuss or coordinate the military deployment to his state.
Pritzker Calls For Texas Governor To Withdraw Support
The Illinois governor directly appealed to Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott to withdraw support for the deployment decision. Pritzker emphasized that presidents should not send military troops into sovereign states without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation.
Abbott confirmed on Sunday that he had authorized the National Guard call-up for federal deployment. The Texas governor wrote on social media that states must either fully enforce protection for federal employees or allow Texas Guard to handle the situation.
Pritzker warned that National Guard members should not be used as political props in federal operations. He called on all Americans to speak up and help stop what he characterized as dangerous federal overreach.
Federal Court Blocks Oregon Deployment
A late-night court hearing in Oregon resulted in Trump-appointed Judge Karin Immergut blocking federalized National Guard deployments to Portland. The judicial intervention came shortly after Pritzker's revelation about the planned troop movements across multiple liberal states.
California and Oregon filed a joint lawsuit to challenge the administration's deployment strategy in federal court. The legal action sought to prevent the use of federalized National Guard units in their jurisdictions.
Judge Immergut temporarily blocked all National Guard deployments to Oregon, including California units previously reassigned to Portland. She dismissed Trump's characterization of the city as "war-ravaged" and questioned the justification for federalized forces.
California National Guard Reassigned To Oregon
Pentagon officials confirmed that approximately 200 federalized California National Guard members were being relocated from Los Angeles to Portland. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek reported that about 100 troops arrived Saturday, with another 100 expected Sunday.
The deployment represented an attempt to circumvent Saturday's court ruling that blocked Oregon National Guard federalization. Federal officials provided no formal communication to Oregon about the troop movement, according to state leadership.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta accused the president of specifically targeting Democratic-leaning cities and leaders who oppose administration policies. The reassignment highlighted tensions between federal authorities and liberal state governments over immigration enforcement.
Protests Continue Despite Federal Presence
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has become the focal point of nightly demonstrations against federal policies. Governor Kotek emphasized that protests remained relatively small and localized to just one block in the city of 650,000 residents.
Oregon officials argued that no insurrection or national security threat existed to justify military intervention in their state. The governor stressed that facts on the ground had not changed to warrant federal troop deployment.
Trump has intensified criticism of liberal-led states, describing Oregon as "burning to the ground" and Chicago as the "world's most dangerous city." The rhetoric accompanies his administration's expanded use of federal resources in Democratic-controlled jurisdictions.
