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Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday that the Trump administration has requested that the Pentagon deploy 100 troops to Illinois as federal immigration agents expand their operations in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.
Pritzker told reporters that the Illinois National Guard received notice of a Department of Homeland Security memo describing the request. It was unclear what type of forces were being sought. The Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment.
Pritzker accused the White House of using immigration enforcement as a cover to justify military deployments in Chicago. “The administration’s stepped up immigration enforcement is a pretext to deploy military troops against the Chicago area,” he said.
The comments came after a weekend that saw masked federal agents operating in downtown Chicago, despite Mayor Brandon Johnson’s executive order banning masks. Federal officials say hundreds of people have been detained in recent weeks as part of the effort.
Chicago has long limited cooperation with federal immigration enforcement under a city ordinance, making it a focal point of Trump’s deportation push. The president has vowed record deportations, saying they are necessary to address illegal crossings that surged under former President Joe Biden.
Protests have escalated outside an immigration processing center in suburban Broadview, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have used pepper balls, tear gas and other chemical agents to disperse demonstrators. Daniel Biss, the Democratic mayor of Evanston and a congressional candidate, said he suffered tear gas injuries during a recent protest. A CBS reporter also said her vehicle was struck by pepper balls, prompting Broadview Police to request cooperation from DHS in its investigation.
The Justice Department confirmed Monday that Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered federal agents to protect ICE facilities in Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
The raids and patrols have created unusual scenes in Chicago. Border Patrol agents in military-style gear have been spotted along the Chicago River and on Michigan Avenue, areas better known for boat tours and luxury shops. On Sunday, video of a man on a bicycle shouting that he was not a U.S. citizen — and then escaping agents who chased him — spread widely online.
Additional ICE investigative agents have recently been sent to major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, Houston, Nashville, Seattle and El Paso, Texas.