A Pentagon official confirmed planning is under way to send National Guard troops to Chicago. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi called the move an illegal attempt to militarize Chicago and an abuse of power, warning it would spark chaos and create spectacle and arguing there is no emergency warranting federalized troops. Illinois attorney-general Kwame Raoul called the actions un-American and strategically unwise, saying service members lack training for civilian law enforcement and that Illinois made no request for such federal intervention. Lieutenant-governor Juliana Stratton accused the move of pursuing political theatrics rather than public safety.
President Trump's illegal attempt to militarize Chicago will do nothing but spark chaos and create spectacle. There is no emergency in Illinois that warrants federalizing our national guard or deploying active-duty troops into our communities just as there was no justification in Washington or Los Angeles. Donald Trump's flagrant abuses of power must end. Our brave servicemen and women are not pawns in his political games.
His actions are not just un-American. They are unwise strategically. Our cities are not made safer by deploying the nation's service members for civilian law enforcement duties when they do not have the appropriate training. To be clear: We have made no such request for the type of federal intervention we have seen in Los Angeles or Washington DC. There is no emergency in the state of Illinois.
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