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Rep. Krishnamoorthi flays Trump’s plan to militarize Chicago
“President Trump’s illegal attempt to militarize Chicago will do nothing but spark chaos and create spectacle,” Krishnamoorthi said.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 25, Aug 2025
- 14:16 EDT
- 22
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi / REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) has publicly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to potentially deploy the military to Chicago without the necessary state authorization.
The democrat labeled the suggestion as unconstitutional and suggested that it is driven by political motives. “President Trump’s illegal attempt to militarize Chicago will do nothing but spark chaos and create spectacle,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement on Aug. 24.
Also Read: Trump crime crackdown deploys troops in Washington's safest sites
Trump’s attempt to militarize Chicago is illegal and reckless. I’ve introduced legislation to block any president from deploying troops without a governor’s request. I stand with Gov. Pritzker & Mayor Johnson in rejecting this abuse of power. My full statement:…
— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) August 24, 2025
“There is no emergency in Illinois that warrants federalizing our National Guard or deploying active-duty troops into our communities—just as there was no justification in Washington or Los Angeles. Donald Trump’s flagrant abuses of power must end. Our brave servicemen and women are not pawns in his political games,” he added.
Krishnamoorthi noted that he has introduced legislation aimed at blocking any president from unilaterally deploying the military into states without a governor’s request. “If the President is serious about making Chicago safer, we’re ready to work with his Administration—but not on half-baked stunts that trample the Constitution and spread chaos,” he said, adding that he stood with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in rejecting the plan.
The dispute comes as the Trump administration signals that the Pentagon is preparing for a possible deployment of National Guard personnel from Republican-led states to Chicago as part of a broader law-and-order campaign. According to reports, as many as 1,700 troops could be mobilized if the president issues an order. While Trump has publicly suggested that the move is under consideration, no formal directive has been announced.
State and city officials have dismissed the justification for federal intervention. Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson argue that crime in Chicago has fallen sharply over the past year, citing a more than 30 percent drop in homicides and nearly a 40 percent reduction in shootings. They say deploying federal troops without consent would undermine local progress, inflame tensions between communities and police, and violate constitutional limits on federal authority.
Despite the opposition, Trump has insisted that the Pentagon remain ready to mobilize forces nationwide with minimal notice. His administration has defended the measures as necessary to curb violence in major cities, though critics contend the deployments are aimed more at political theater than at public safety.
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