Governor Pritzker Argues Trump Is Invading Illinois Out of Animus
Very broadly speaking, the state three challenges to Trump’s invasions adopt different theories.
- The 22-page California challenge (the TRO request was filed separately), which was filed during large scale protests, contested whether the scale of the protest merited nationalization of the Guard and invasion by the Marines
- The 41-page Oregon challenge basically showed that Trump’s batshit claims about Portland don’t match the reality on the ground, noting that to the extent there were significant protests, they subsided long before Trump called in the Guard
- The 69-page Illinois challenge argues that the invasion arises out of animus
Of those 69 pages in the Illinois suit, 21 are dedicated to describing Trump’s animus, which it dates as starting in 2013, continued though his first presidential term, and even came out during the interregnum.
44. The supposed current emergency is belied by the fact that Trump’s Chicago troop deployment threats began more than ten years ago. In a social media post from 2013 Trump writes “we need our troops on the streets of Chicago, not in Syria.”
[snip]
47. Three years ago, in 2022, Trump was between his presidential terms. In two separate speeches that summer, Trump shared his plans for Chicago, stating in July 2022 that the “next president needs to send the National Guard to the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago.” He reiterated that point at the August 2022 CPAC speech, saying that the problem was “these cities that were run by Democrats going so bad so fast.”
It shows how Trump and Stephen Miller’s targeting
57. On April 18, 2025, Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and the Homeland Security Advisor leveled the accusation that “Sanctuary cities shield criminal illegal aliens from removal.” Although not a lawyer, he opined that “these cities are engaged in systemic criminal violations and that they are engaged in a scheme to nullify and obstruct the duly enacted laws of the United States of America.” Miller specifically cited Chicago, along with Los Angeles and Boston, saying the cities were “waging war against the very idea of nationhood.”
It showed how, in May, DHS ditched its first draft list of sanctuary jurisdictions to get rid of the Republican ones on the list.
63. In the midst of these immigration-related federal defunding actions and responsive lawsuits, DHS published, on May 29, 2025, a list of 500 purported “sanctuary jurisdictions” around the country. It accused them of “shamefully obstructing” the Trump administration’s deportation plans and “shielding dangerous criminal aliens.” Fox News Channel 32 Chicago accurately characterized the list as an escalation of “efforts to penalize states and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.”
64. However, days later, based on widespread news reporting as early as June 1st, that first sanctuary jurisdiction list was gone. As reported, very soon after publishing the list, the Trump administration faced objections from Republican stronghold jurisdictions that found themselves on the list. The Department of Homeland Security quickly and quietly removed the list from the website where it had been posted.
65. Then on July 25, 2025, the federal district judge presiding over the United States’ lawsuit regarding Illinois’s, Chicago’s and Cook County’s immigration-related laws and policies dismissed the case. United States v. Illinois, No. 25 CV 1285, 2025 WL 2098688, *27 (N.D. Ill. July 25, 2025). In concluding that there was no claim for the United States to pursue, the court held that “the Sanctuary Policies reflect [Illinois’s, Chicago’s and Cook County’s] decision to not participate in enforcing civil immigration law—a decision protected by the Tenth Amendment and not preempted by the INA. Finding that these same Policy provisions constitute discrimination or impermissible regulation would provide an end-run around the Tenth Amendment. It would allow the federal government to commandeer States under the guise of intergovernmental immunity— the exact type of direct regulation of states barred by the Tenth Amendment.” Id.
66. Less than two weeks later, the Trump administration posted a new version of its sanctuary jurisdiction target list. That August 5, 2025, publication shortened the list from about 500 to just 35 jurisdictions. The new sanctuary “jurisdiction” list targeted twelve states (including Illinois, California, and Oregon), the District of Columbia, eighteen cities (including Chicago), and four counties (including Cook County).
It tracks a number of things Kristi Noem and Greg Bovino did to create a pretext for invasion, focusing closely on Bovino’s boat trips around the river, but also describing the way Noem went out of the way to address protestors directly (the Chief of Police of Broadview was pretty unhappy about that event).
106. As this DHS show of force in Broadview was escalating, CBP appeared in tactical gear with large weapons in hand around the City of Chicago. On September 25, 2025, Greg Bovino, head of the CBP operations in Chicago, led a small fleet of “Border Patrol” boats downtown on the Chicago River, with officers armed with semi-automatic rifles. Photographs in the local news showed the boats passing the upscale Riverwalk, in the area of the Trump Tower:
107. The CBP boats were seen again on the Chicago River in the following days, seemingly doing nothing more than eponymous showboating.
108. However, the day after the Border Protection’s first unimpeded river fleet cruise, DHS executed a memo expressing an urgent need for support in Illinois from the “Department of War.” Specifically, on September 26, DHS requested from DoD 100 troops to protect ICE facilities in Illinois with “immediate and sustained assistance” because of a fictional “coordinated assault by violent groups . . . actively aligned with designated domestic terror organizations . . . .” DoD’s National Guard Bureau informally made this request to Illinois for its National Guard troops on September 27, which Illinois refused the following day.
109. Two days after this request, on Sunday, September 28, around 100 DHS agents, dressed in militaristic tactical gear and carrying semi-automatic rifles, patrolled the Chicago business district near Millenium Park and Michigan Avenue. They positioned themselves in large groups on major pedestrian thoroughfares in tourist and commercial areas.
[snip]
112. On October 3rd, 2025, Kristi Noem, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, orchestrated a visit to the Broadview facility designed to provoke those who could hear or see the visit. Throughout this visit, rather than avoiding the protesters, Secretary Noem and her entourage, including Bovino, entered areas congested with protesters, even when there were alternative routes that would have avoided those areas.
113. Defendant Noem was videotaped speaking to assembled DHS agents about protestors outside of the ICE facility in which she stated: “Today, when we leave here we’re going to go hard. We’re going to hammer these guys that are advocating for violence against the American people . . . we’re going to go out there and we’re going to make sure that there’s consequences for the way that they’re behaving and that we’re going to prosecute them” Noem’s comments about protestors “advocating for violence against the American people” are unsupported by public reports, and appear to conflate the First Amendment-protected speech of protestors with political violence.
114. Noem then introduced Bovino, who began his speech saying, “It’s roll up time here, state instrument is a hard power, you’re going to be put into full effect.” Although at that time demonstrators were confined to a free speech area blocks from the ICE facility, and managed by ISP and local police, Bovino called demonstrators an “unsafe crowd.” He further stated, “we’re going to roll them all the way out of here, and when they resist what happens? They get arrested. So it’s now going to be a free arrest zone . . . I’m giving them one warning . . . They’re getting it here as soon as we leave.”
115. Subsequently, Secretary Noem’s motorcade, in a large armored, tactical vehicle known as a BearCat, exited the facility through an entrance congested with protesters, rather than the alternative, which was not. She then proceeded to an area with protesters on all sides and exited the vehicle. Because she affirmatively went to the protest area, the U.S. Secret Service was required to extend the protective perimeter, resulting in federal agents engaging with protesters and prompting ISP involvement. There was no legitimate purpose under federal law for this conduct by defendant Noem.
Sadly, they didn’t describe Russian useful idiot Benny Johnson’s role in all this, because his false claims are a key part of the effort to stoke violence (and, probably, to mislead Trump about what is really happening).
It cites a number of Trump’s false Truth Social claims and fundraising emails, including this one from September 6.
And it describes Trump’s incendiary language to describe peaceful protest, including his declaration of a war from within.
120. A few days later, on September 30 at the Pentagon, Trump and Hegseth addressed a gathering of about 800 top military leaders. Trump took the opportunity again to attack Chicago, stating: “You know, the Democrats run most of the cities that are in bad shape. We have many cities in great shape too, by the way. I want you to know that. But it seems that the ones that are run by the radical left Democrats, what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, they’re very unsafe places and we’re going to straighten them out one by one.” He went on to say, “And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war too. It’s a war from within.”
121. Trump then stated that he had informed defendant Hegseth, “we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military National Guard, but military, because we’re going into Chicago very soon.” Defendant Hegseth has now taken formal action to do so.
It used Trump’s invitation for Pete Hegseth to use Chicago as a “training ground” as the introduction of the rest of the complaint.
The complaint describes the shooting of a Chicago man and the lies DHS told about it. The Black Hawk invasion of an apartment building appears elsewhere, to show that there was no interruption of whatever that invasion was meant to be. It doesn’t mention the shooting on Saturday: but emails submitted by the ILNG show that Trump had already made the request for Guard before that event (though they happened nearly simultaneously).
I’ve seen some people speculate, because of more recent events, that Chicago would have a tougher time than Portland to prove there was no purpose for the invasion.
But this is a different, more ambitious argument, effectively showing that Kristi Noem set out to create a pretext for a long contemplated plan to invade Chicago.
My son worked in Chicago for several years and is still in touch with people there. He says that they tell him there is so little justification for Ice/Noem, that the ICE goons are flooding 911 with fake calls trying to create a record of ‘crime’ to justify their presence.
911 calls are tape monitored; can’t false calls be traced & callers charged?
I think that is how this was discovered.
Here’s a story I saw about that:
Broadview police chief accuses ICE agents of making false 911 calls https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/broadview-police-chief-thomas-mills-ice-agents-false-911-calls/ Dave Savini, Samah Assad
October 2, 2025 / 10:25 PM CDT / CBS Chicago
“…Broadview police chief accuses ICE agents of making false 911 calls…”
Grown-ass adults acting like petulant children. smh
This is a bizarre variant of SWATting.
Does it matter why the trump administration is waging this illegal war on residents in Chicago, Illinois? Or any USA city/state? trump is waging war on the people of the USA. How many Ft Sumters is this administration going to attack?
Matters to me. Did I miss your point?
It has legal implications. And it has political implications. It can be a major talking point for advocates of constitutional government.
The Illinois judge has opted not to issue a TRO. She’s given the administration until Wednesday to respond in writing; oral argument on Thursday. Liveblog thread here: https://bsky.app/profile/jonseidel.bsky.social/post/3m2kczqts4k2i.
Can the Governor call out the Illinois National guard tp protect Chicago residents from the Ice gang violence ?
I’m not a lawyer but doesn’t the second amendment, so-beloved of the far-right, give states the right to use their well-regulated militias to defend against government tyranny? Unless ‘State’ in that instance refers to The Union rather than individual states.
I don’t know how it works in practice but if Trump keeps on the way he’s going we might find out.
https://bsky.app/profile/joshuajfriedman.com/post/3m2jvzaqarc22
October 6, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Geidner linked to federal courts reporter Jon Seidel, who live-posted the hearing:
https://bsky.app/profile/jonseidel.bsky.social/post/3m2kczqts4k2i
October 6, 2025 at 3:13 PM [ET]
Edited too late… “Thursday” is 10/9/25, NOT
9/9/25.Is it REALLY October?
@PJ Evans at 6:52
it’s true. Here’s an example. The goons just broke into this guy’s apartment when he was at work and stole his electronics and his furniture.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/10/01/massive-immigration-raid-on-chicago-apartment-building-leaves-residents-reeling-i-feel-defeated
October 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
People in that apt building they wrecked had personal belongs stolen. You can bet that DOJ will say that didn’t happen.
From the Illinois challenge:
Although Trump wishes he could be as butch as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore
This is Trump in reality: https://youtube.com/shorts/AGnl_ACqIso?si=ewAaqozwzp5bwjCm
His speed is more golfcart & Andrew Lloyd Weber.
(I’ll concede that Stephen Miller seems to have a fetish for Wagner and Napalm.)
I think The Felon Guy’s musical style is 70s and 80s pop and disco.
Pro’lly knows every dance move to the ‘Time Warp’ as well.
Now we know why Hegseth still has his job:
https://apple.news/AsZdCxaEARH-6VX0kM6_VgQ
Miller’s been pushing that move since 2021. I think the courts (and just about everyone else) would rise up at that point.
I would bet it wasn’t arson, but electrical. Or possibly a leaking gas pipe. Arsonists would be more likely at night, when they could be sure people were home.
There were people at home – her family members. I think they were injured too.
No evidence of arson so far although the investigation is ongoing:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/06/south-carolinas-top-law-official-says-no-arson-evidence-so-far-in-fire-that-destroyed-judges-home-00595620
This’ll hit SCOTUS like a rocket, especially with Oregon case. CJ Roberts and Brett-boy have a tough decision ahead of them. Making up facts like Kennedy v. Bremerton has become second-nature to them. On the other hand, right now SCOTUS has so little credibility that a ruling against facts in favor of Trump just increases the chances of getting 10 new colleagues next Democratic trifecta.
It seems like the Dems are using paper to try to stop thugs in tactical gear, which seems a little futile at this point, but I guess it is all we have. Congress is non-functional and supine at this point. Mike Johnson is beyond ineffectual and in fact, is turning out to be one of the most effective roadblocks to progress in human history. Johnson is the modern day Nero, fiddling while America burns. I hope Republicans are happy with the so-called “government” they created when they finally got their shot – MAJOR FAIL.
Got any cheese to go with that whine?
the pictures of the wanna bees on the river in their “gun boats” are a riot. yes I agree, they are show boating. It maybe that guy has feelings of inadequacy and going out on a boat with a lot of big guns will enhance his sense of maleness or whatever he is lacking.
Looking at all of these violent actions and show boating, comes down to this, trump–a coward who couldn’t fight his way out of wet paper bag and seems to have lost touch with reality thinks he can get even with any one who he thinks crossed him. He needs a good shrink. He most likely over compensates for his inadequacies.
Then along comes Heggi who know thinks he is a star in his own movie. With the greased hair, he looks like some one out of a bad 50s movie. He’s never going to be a star. He is an idiot in bad suits.
At the rate they are firing military officers trump and his may be in trouble if there are other powers who want to accomplish a few things. Shooting people in boats and killing them is not a nice thing to do. There hasn’t been any proof these were drug dealers moving their product. If they were gangster moving product, they may become unhappy with the declining profit margins. trump might want to be careful.
Johnson always looks like he is afraid of something and hasn’t the nerve to do the right thing to get things moving and swear in the newly elected person.
I do wonder how long this is going to go on for. It really needs to stop before a lot of people are badly hurt one of these times. Haven’t heard much from Putin, Xi or Kimmy 3 lately. Perhaps they’re just watching the show and laughing at trump and co. as they try to destroy their country. I wonder if a judge could order the arrest of some of these people for ignoring their court orders.
If trump pardons Maxwell it will not look good. if she has the goods on him,he might have to.
Wikipedia has crime rate data. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_crime_rate
Compare Indianapolis and Chicago. Going by crime rates, where would you first deploy additional crimefighters if you were objective? So, is objectivity as a criterion trumped by something else? Hostile animus? Party Politics? Ohio has a lot of crime too. JD, in particular, should know Ohio. And want a betterment there, crimewise. Has he no voice in things?
Wharton advisory board chair Marc Rowan (billionaire, CEO of Apollo Global Management a private equity firm) had a hand in crafting ideas used in Trump’s university compact, report says
Marc Rowan and his allies were instrumental in developing ideas for the compact that President Donald Trump’s administration asked nine colleges including Penn to sign, according to the New York Times
Rowan was circulating a document last winter called a “university support and eligibility agreement” that listed some of the same principles and wording in the compact rolled out by the Trump administration last week, according to the Times. Both documents, for example, state “all monies advanced by the U.S. government during the year of any violation shall be returned to the U.S. government,” the Times said.
https://www.inquirer.com/education/upenn-marc-rowan-compact-trump-administration-20251006.html