Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker fiercely opposed President Trump’s move to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago. Calling it 'unlawful and political,' Pritzker vowed to resist federal interference and defend state rights, saying he 'won’t back down' against what he called a 'dangerous overreach.'
00:00Let me be clear. Donald Trump is using our service members as political props and as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation's cities.
00:12I want to thank Attorney General Kwame Raul and his staff, along with my general counsel Anne Spillane and our excellent governor's office legal team,
00:22for working tirelessly for weeks now to prepare federal lawsuits in anticipation of this unconstitutional invasion of Illinois by the federal government.
00:34Since the beginning of this invasion, families have been snatched up off the streets or removed from their homes,
00:41zip-tied and detained for hours, including especially U.S. citizens and legal residents of our state.
00:48And in the words of CBP Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino, they're being chosen by how they look.
00:57I refuse to let Donald Trump, Kristi Noem and Gregory Bovino continue on this march toward autocracy.
01:05Their plan all along has been to cause chaos, and then they can use that chaos to consolidate Donald Trump's power.
01:13They think they can fool us all into thinking that the way to get out of this crisis that they created is to give them free reign.
01:22Well, that plan will only work if we let it.
01:25The state of Illinois is going to use every lever at our disposal to resist this power grab and get Noem's thugs the hell out of Chicago.
01:34In the more than 40 lawsuits we have filed challenging the Trump administration's unlawful actions,
01:49we've explained that the executive branch has to follow the law.
01:54A president cannot go beyond the authority granted by Congress with regards to deploying the National Guard.
02:04And there is no need or justification for a militarized response to anything going on in Chicago.
02:10It is unfair to National Guardsmen.
02:16It is unfair to local law enforcement.
02:19And it is certainly unfair to the law-abiding citizens of Illinois who do not want to be subject to military occupation.
02:28I have promised that the city of Chicago will do everything in our power to protect the constitutional rights of all Chicagoans.
02:34This lawsuit is the latest demonstration of our commitment.
02:38Let me be absolutely clear.
02:41The president is not sending military troops to Chicago to keep us safe.
02:45We know this because Trump has a history of targeting Chicago.
02:50Chicago will not be used as a political prop.
02:54Chicago will not be intimidated and we will not be silent.
02:58And to our residents,
02:59know that we are fighting for you and using every legal avenue to protect your rights, dignity, and your humanity.
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