Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker hold a press conference on reports of federal deployments in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., September 2, 2025. REUTERS/Jim Vondruska
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) is preparing his constituents for the possibility of President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, and just announced his plans to fight back.
Chicago PBS affiliate WTTW reported Thursday that Pritzker is prepared to take the Trump administration to court the moment he attempts to send troops to the Windy City. The two-term Democratic governor also made sure to warn local residents that if there is a federal presence in Chicago, it will almost likely coincide with Mexican Independence Day activities later this month.
"Part of their kind of nefarious plan is begin with ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], cause mayhem on the ground, and by doing that, say that there’s a need for military troops on the ground to protect ICE," Pritzker said.
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"We’re going to immediately go to court, if National Guard or other military troops are sent to, deployed to the city of Chicago, immediately go to court,” he continued. “So that’s going to be our first line of defense is getting a court to issue a (temporary restraining order) or other injunction against that activity.”
Pritzker's remarks come on the heels of a press conference he held earlier this week with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, where Johnson accused White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller of intentionally choosing the Mexican holiday of September 16 to conduct immigration raids. Johnson vowed that despite the threat, he planned to carry on the city's scheduled events as planned.
“Why would we allow someone who is auditioning to become a dictator of democracy to intimidate the soul of America, the city of Chicago?” the mayor said. “We should celebrate.”
However, the Mexican celebration El Grito Chicago — which was originally slated for September 13-14 in Grant Park, has been postponed out of an abundance of caution, according to event organizer German Gonzalez. He told WTTV that due to "heightened political tensions" that holding the event was "a risk we are not willing to take."
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Click here to read WTTV's full article.