Trump & Illinois National Guard

Washington (dpa) — The governor of Illinois has accused US President Donald Trump’s administration of intending to take control of 300 Illinois National Guard troops for deployment in Chicago, escalating a weeks-long dispute over federal intervention in the city.

Governor JB Pritzker said on social media platform X on Saturday that the Pentagon had given him an ultimatum: Either order the troops into action himself or Washington would do so.

“It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will,” he wrote. He did not elaborate on the ultimatum.

The White House and Pentagon did not immediately comment.

“I want to be clear: there is no need for military troops on the ground in the State of Illinois,” Pritzker said, adding: “I will not call up our National Guard to further Trump’s acts of aggression against our people.”

Trump has repeatedly pressed for National Guard deployments in Chicago, citing what he describes as spiralling crime. Pritzker, a Democrat, has rejected the plan and sided with the city’s leadership, accusing the president of seeking to intimidate political opponents.

In the United States, governors normally control the National Guard in their states, though the president can assume command during wars or national emergencies. The National Guard is a military reserve unit and part of the US armed forces.

Trump has previously ordered National Guard deployments, including in Los Angeles to counter protests against immigration enforcement raids and in the capital, Washington, to address what he described as surging crime. Some of those actions are now facing legal challenges.