CHICAGO (WLS) — There is growing resistance to President Donald Trump’s possible plan to send National Guard troops to Chicago.
Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois’ Attorney General Kwame Raoul will hold a news conference Monday to speak out against any deployment.
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ABC News confirmed that planning is underway, but no official decision has been made.
Mayor Brandon Johnson says there’s been no communication from the White House, but multiple reports say the Trump administration has been planning for National Guard troops in Chicago for weeks.
A Pentagon spokesperson said, “We won’t speculate on further operations. The Department is a planning organization and is continuously, working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.”
The conservative group “Chicago Flips Red” said despite CPD’s numbers showing crime is down, many still don’t feel safe, and welcomes the National Guard.
“It’s too much crime, so it needs to be some type of law and order, and if this administration cannot get it done, the Johnson administration can’t get it done… then yeah, we need the National Guard,” said Zoe Leigh with Chicago Flips Red.
RELATED: US official confirms Pentagon planning National Guard deployment in Chicago, Mayor Johnson responds
“Brave men and women who signed up to serve our country did not sign up to occupy American cities,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.
Despite threats of military intervention, the White House does not have the same authority over cities beyond Washington, D.C.
When the president calls troops up without the governor’s permission, the guard is limited to protecting federal buildings and personnel.
In a statement, Governor JB Pritzker said “Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.”
Mayor Johnson is also vowing legal action if a deployment occurs, but it’s unclear if the courts would block such a move.
Weeks after the National Guard was sent to Los Angeles, a judge has yet to rule on California’s lawsuit.
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