Chicago, IL – Tensions deepened late Sunday after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the White House ordered 400 members of the Texas National Guard into federal service for deployment to Illinois, Oregon, and other U.S. cities, expanding an enforcement plan that has already triggered protests and constitutional concerns.
In a social post Sunday night, Pritzker said he received no direct communication or coordination from federal officials before the order was issued. “No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate,” the governor wrote. “This is not how you protect public safety.”
A memorandum signed by the Secretary of War and circulating online confirms the federal call-up, citing “violent demonstrations and credible threats of continued violence” as justification for mobilizing troops under Title 10, Section 12406 of the U.S. Code. The order places the service members under the command of U.S. Northern Command for at least 60 days, with potential extensions.
Governors in multiple states, including California’s Gavin Newsom, condemned the move as “reckless” and “authoritarian.” Oregon officials said they were not consulted. Civil-rights groups also expressed alarm, warning that the expansion of troop deployments beyond Chicago “raises serious questions about federal overreach.”
As protests spread across downtown Chicago and suburban corridors Sunday evening, demonstrators carried signs reading “No Troops on U.S. Streets” and “This Is Not Normal.” Legal experts said the action could lead to court challenges from states claiming the mobilization violates the Tenth Amendment’s protections of state authority.
