Trump weighs deploying National Guard to Chicago, Democrats vow lawsuit

Illinois Democrats are vowing legal action if President Donald Trump moves forward with a plan to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago without state approval.

(CNN)- Illinois Democrats are vowing legal action if President Donald Trump moves forward with a plan to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago without state approval. Two officials confirmed the president is considering the move as part of his broader crackdown on crime and illegal immigration.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul called the idea unconstitutional, citing the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of military forces in domestic law enforcement. “We don’t have a foreign invasion. We don’t have a rebellion,” Raoul said, adding that state and local authorities already work with federal partners trained to address crime.

It remains unclear how many Guard members Trump might send or when. City statistics show violent crime in Chicago has dropped by double digits, but Trump argues the city needs federal intervention. “Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we’ll straighten that one out probably next,” he said.

Critics argue that Guard troops are not trained to police civilians and warn that a deployment could escalate tensions. Supporters of the president counter that residents would welcome stronger measures to reduce violence. Republican strategist Scott Jennings said Democrats oppose Trump’s involvement because “it makes them look terrible,” but insisted Chicagoans “would love to have less violent crime.”

National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., are already carrying firearms, according to a mission spokesperson. Sources say a deployment in Chicago would resemble the Guard’s presence in Los Angeles during protests earlier this year—a move that prompted California to file a lawsuit still pending in court.