WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to immediately allow for the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois, alleging they are needed to protect federal agents conducting immigration enforcement.
The move comes in response to lower court rulings that blocked the effort, with the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday again ruling against the administration.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the government, wrote in the new filing that federal agents have repeatedly been "threatened and assaulted" in Chicago and the suburb of Broadview, where an immigration facility is located.
Echoing President Donald Trump's stark and harsh language about the situation on the ground, which local leaders strongly contest, Sauer said that federal agencies "have been forced to operate under the constant threat of mob violence."
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said in an X post after the Trump filing that he would continue to defend the sovereignty of his state.
"Militarizing our communities against their will is not only un-American but also leads us down a dangerous path for our democracy," he added.
At news conference on Thursday, Pritzker described Trump administration messaging efforts over highly publicized arrests in Chicago and surrounding suburbs as propaganda, accusing immigration officials of using excessive force and the federal government of lying.
“Anyone claiming that there is a rebellion or insurrection in Chicago is not telling the truth,” he said.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Friday that "regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, we will continue to fight to end the war on Chicago."
"Through Know Your Rights information, executive orders, and partnerships with local organizations, we will pursue every avenue to protect Chicago from Trump’s attacks," Johnson said. "We will make the case that Chicago does not need or want National Guard troops on the streets of our city."
Trump called up the National Guard under a federal law that gives the president authority to act when he faces difficulty in executing the law, and also when there is a "rebellion or danger of rebellion."
Sauer said that "both conditions are satisfied here."
Lower courts disagreed.
U.S. District Judge April Perry questioned the government's version of events, saying she had "found no credible evidence that there is a danger of rebellion in the state of Illinois."
Likewise, the appeals court said "the facts do not justify the president's actions in Illinois."
Trump has frequently turned to the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, when lower courts have thwarted his aggressive use of executive power. In most cases, the high court has ruled in his favor.
