A bold move given recent protests and the size/weight of a Portillo's Italian Beef
— Robert Downen (@robertdownen.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Per Heather Cherone, at Chicago’s WTTW:
… “Unidentifiable agents in unmarked vehicles with masks are planning to raid Latino communities and say they’re targeting violent criminals, as we saw in Los Angeles,” Pritzker said, adding that the looming deployment was timed to coincide with celebrations of Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16. “A very, very small percentage of the individuals they will target will be violent criminals.”
Pritzker said federal agents would target Chicagoans based on the color of their skin, and whether they appear to be Latino.
“It breaks my heart to report that we have been told ICE will try to disrupt community picnics and peaceful parades,” Pritzker said. “Let’s be clear — the terror and cruelty is the point, not the safety of anybody living here.”
The Trump administration plans to use Naval Station Great Lakes, nearly 35 miles outside Chicago, to house federal immigration agents or National Guard troops who could be deployed to Chicago, according to federal officials.
While Pritzker said his information came from “unauthorized, patriotic officials” as well as media reports, a source in Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office told WTTW News that they were “not sure where the governor got his information, but it is not accurate.”
Nearly 52,000 migrants arrived in Chicago starting in 2022, many on buses paid for by Abbott, a Republican, as part of a concerted effort to divide Democratic voters and boost Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Shortly before Pritzker addressed the news media from his offices in downtown Chicago, Trump told reporters that he would send National Guard troops to Chicago despite a federal judge ruling that his administration violated a federal law known as the Posse Comitatus Act by using the military to fight crime in Los Angeles…
Pritzker promised to challenge any deployment in court.
Flanked by Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Deputy Gov. Juliana Stratton, Pritzker said it would be illegal and unconstitutional for the president to deploy the National Guard to Chicago over his objections.
“He has no idea what’s he’s talking about,” Pritzker said. “There is no emergency that warrants deployment of troops. He is insulting the people of Chicago by calling our home a hellhole, and anyone that takes his word at face value is insulting Chicagoans too.” …
Pritzker: "Any rational person who has spent even the most minimal amount of time studying human history has to ask themselves one important question: once they get the citizens of this nation comfortable with the current atrocities committed under the color of law, what comes next?"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) September 2, 2025 at 4:21 PM
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🚨BREAKING: President Donald Trump is preparing to deploy National Guard troops in the state over the governor’s repeated objections. Pritzker also warned Trump will soon launch large-scale immigration raids in Chicago. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/…
— Marc Elias (@marcelias.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 5:16 PM
… If Trump sends Texas National Guard troops into Illinois, it will mark the first time he’s deployed one state’s guard personnel against a nonconsenting state, raising severe state sovereignty issues.
In Los Angeles, Trump deployed California National Guard troops after federalizing them using an archaic federal statute.
Pritzker said the head of the Illinois State Police over the weekend was informed by Gregory Bovino, a senior Customs and Border Protection official who led aggressive immigration raids in Los Angeles, that immigration raids in Chicago would soon begin.
The governor said the Trump administration began staging for the raids Monday by moving military vehicles onto federal properties in the state and relocating federal agents from Los Angeles to Chicago…
Pritzker added that the Trump administration may use any pushback to immigration operations as pretext to deploying National Guard troops.
“If someone flings a sandwich at an ICE agent, Trump will try and go on TV and declare an emergency,” he added, while urging Chicagoans to “not take the bait.”
“None of this is about fighting crime or making Chicago safer. None of it,” Pritzker said. “For Trump, it’s about testing his power and producing a political drama to cover up for his corruption.”…
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Texas loaded busses with desperate migrants and dropped them off in Chicago like trash in the middle of winter. We welcomed them into our communities. Now Texas is sending its National Guard to terrorize them on our streets. In our neighborhoods. What the fuck.
— Mike Innocenzi (@pantagrapher.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 4:24 PM
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The Illinois National Guard veterans this morning, condemned Trump’s use of troops in LA immigration protests after a judge ruled the federal deployment was illegal.
They are speaking out against Trump’s sending National Guard troops to Chicago, Illinois.
youtu.be/tvWYOzKUS7E?…— Liz (or Lizzie) Kim 김혜성 💫 (@liz.sheshed.rocks) September 2, 2025 at 12:46 PM
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When President Trump used 32 U.S.C. § 502(f)(2) in 2020, that was to have out-of-state National Guard troops sent to D.C.—which has no sovereignty of its own.
Sending the un-federalized TX National Guard into IL without the latter’s consent raises *serious* Article IV problems that 2020 … didn’t.— Steve Vladeck (@stevevladeck.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 6:43 PM
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I think Illinois can and should sue Texas in the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction and seek a preliminary injunction against the use of any un-federalized Texas National Guard troops in Illinois.
— Steve Vladeck (@stevevladeck.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 6:55 PM
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i do think people — national security reporters in particular — should think a little bit about what it means that pritzker apparently already knows what the plan for the texas national guard in chicago is, regardless of whether it actually happens or not.
— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) September 2, 2025 at 7:53 PM
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Illinois has laws against sharing data for immigration enforcement. It’s one of only 2-3 states that have such robust rules preventing collaboration w ICE. I believe it’s one of the reasons that we’re in month 8 of the Trump administration continuing to talk about but not act on an ICE surge
— Dana Houle (@danahoule.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 9:44 PM
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FWIW: A spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that Texas “is not preparing to deploy troops to Illinois,” per the Austin American-Statesman.
www.statesman.com/politics/tex…— Anna Bower (@annabower.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 10:18 PM
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If you’re a Texan you need to protest _in Texas_. Your governor is using your people to commit a hostile act against the people of Illinois. Are you OK with that?
Are you?— Dana Houle (@danahoule.bsky.social) September 2, 2025 at 4:54 PM
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ETA: For future reference…
truly I need you guys to know that "North Chicago" is an extremely deceptive town name and that Great Lakes Naval Station is way way closer to WISCONSIN than Chicago. You can take a commuter train. But it's not even peak rush hour rn and it's a 90+ minute drive from Great Lakes to Michigan Avenue.
— Meredith Shiner (@meredithshiner.com) September 2, 2025 at 4:50 PM
War for Ukraine Day 1,286: The Small Hours Are, Once Again, the Deadliest Hours
rikyrah
MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) posted at 7:59 PM on Tue, Sep 02, 2025:
Wow — Democrats just MASSIVELY overperformed in two Florida special elections.
In House District 40, Kamala Harris carried the district by 35 points in 2020. Tonight, Democrat RaShon Young crushed the Republican by 50 points, a 15-point swing toward Democrats.
And in Senate District 15, Harris carried the district by 23 points. Democrat Lavon Bracy Davis just won by 45 points — a stunning 22-point overperformance.
t.co/8r971DnoZJ
(x.com/MeidasTouch/status/1963044197025615880?s=02)
rikyrah
So, they are at Great Lakes🤔🤔
rikyrah
They will be sued the moment they arrive in Chicago, as they should be.
Geminid
@rikyrah: Republicans sure don’t seem very motivated right now.
rikyrah
Here is the thing about Chicago: we are a segregated city. It’s not hard to know where to go to racially profile Latinos😠
cain
@rikyrah: True dat as a person who has often gone to Chicago since the late 70s.
cain
I wonder if they plan on harassing the Obamas at Hyde Park?
Also, we know that Abbott would be the first to send troops there. Fucking unamerican prick.
Jackie
@rikyrah: EXCELLENT!!!
NotMax
Lesley Ann Warren, Chicago, Illinois.
:)
Jackie
@cain:
Who should we believe…? Pritzker or Abbott?
I don’t think I’m gonna believe Abbott. When FFOTUS tells Abbott to jump, he jumps as high as he can – metaphorically speaking.
cain
@Jackie: When FFOTUS pushes his wheelchair down the stairs, he’d laugh in joy the entire way down. That’s the kind of clown he is. He’s literally a modern day Job from the Bible.
NotMax
@cain
Shades of Richard Widmark.
//
anotherlurker
It would be a crying shame if the roads leading in and out of Great Lakes needed to be closed in order to correct/repair life threatening highway conditions . It would be horrible if it happened just after all the invading confederates…..errr…..texans arrived. A crying shame.
ascap_scab
If the Texas Guard does anything other than take pictures of The Bean, Chicago cops should arrest them, order them to strip to their skivvies, cuff them to each other, then parade them onto the field at a Sox game!
Jay
Technically, can a Governor of State I, mobilize their State’s National Guard, to resist an unsanctioned invasion by another State’s National Guard, say Confederate State T, or is that too 1861?
prostratedragon
@anotherlurker:
The red and yellow zones represent construction areas. Some of the outbound ones are supposed to be finished within days. Inbound, however, …
prostratedragon
Guess we mow know what that navy build-up off Venezuela was about. Just unspeakable. And someone was found to carry out that order.
different-church-lady
Oh goodie, the Civil War II has begun!
different-church-lady
@Jackie: Abbot will send them unprepared.
Ishiyama
If Gov. Pritzker is asking citizens to monitor the ICE, how about flying drones over them? Hundreds and hundreds of drones, watching the Naval Station and following departing forces?
Also, asking for a friend: How do lit firecrackers work?
different-church-lady
@Ishiyama: Unfortunately the “government” controls where drones can fly. The technology is literally disabled from flying anywhere the “government” decides it shouldn’t.
Ishiyama
@different-church-lady: Would it be up to State authorities to enforce those laws? Couldn’t the Governor issue permission?
scav
@different-church-lady: There could also be a fine lawyerly truck-sized implication where it’s the Feds and not TX technically getting the ball rolling to play little ol’ ingenue me? games in.
NotMax
@different-church-lady
Because it’s the Texas National Guard, not the Boy Scouts.
//
prostratedragon
Steve Vladeck has summarized his points in a substack article:
Tony Jay
Sounds like a much awaited opportunity for genuine cops to arrest, unmask, detain and charge any non-uniformed, mask-wearing, uncredentialed thugs they find masquerading as Federal officials to threaten Chicago residents.
Melt that ICE.
Deputinize America
Wonder if the Illinois NG can be deployed in a protective role?
mrmoshpotato
@anotherlurker: We are not wrecking our neighbor’s roads.
eclare
I trust Gov. Pritzker.
Aussie Sheila
@eclare:
I saw his peroration today. It was excellent. I hope and trust it bolsters and enthuses the general resistance to the idiocy and dangerousness of ‘ performative fascism’.
By that I don’t mean that the current regime isn’t authoritarian, rather that they have the will, but not yet the constitutional means to successfully impose their farcical yet dangerous garbage on the people.
More power to Priztker’s elbow, and more to the people of Illinois and Chicago!
mrmoshpotato
@Aussie Sheila:
Thank you.
I’m curious; did you see any of the other speeches (4 other city and state officials spoke.)?
Aussie Sheila
@mrmoshpotato:
Only the Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson.I love that city and its people. Great fighting, militant spirit. It won’t be SF or LA great as their organised working class is that will pull up that seeyounexttuesday excuse for a President. It will be Chicago. Simply the best imo.
New Deal democrat
Fashion maven Derek Guy’s eagle eye catches something about how T—-p’s suit doesn’t fit one particular body joint:
bsky.app/profile/dieworkwear.bsky.social/post/3lxvb2mazdk2x
Be sure to read the replies. I think he is on to something.
different-church-lady
@Ishiyama: Pretty sure it’s the FAA that decides.
Trivia Man
@New Deal democrat: the clip of him getting out of the golf cart is illuminating. He pauses and focuses on swinging his leg out. Sure looks like my relative post-stroke.
Iron city
@different-church-lady: Don’t you bet on it.
Iron city
@Deputinize America: In Austin?
Iron city
@different-church-lady: Without getting too deep into things. There are statutes that give the FAA authority to regulate aircraft and airmen. The FAA does not have a law enforcement unit of people with guns and arrest power and stuff, they do it with civil penalties including yanking your licenses and airworthiness certificates. FAA writes the rules and regulations and everyone relies on everyone else to follow the rules to keep things going and safe. For UASs it has been along slog and the FAA has been dragged into it in many ways. They had (and maybe still do) no desire to get into the little drone toy stuff because they were thought of as toys, not “real airplanes”. The other bigger stuff is much more “real airplanes” and FA is in that up to their eyeballs, whether they like it or not.
The Audacity of Krope
The original never ended. It went into a cold phase where the Confederates accrued multiple advantages by maliciously exploiting power obtained in the federal government.
The Audacity of Krope
If/when they make it to Boston, I’m planning on recording interviews to post online with the criminal element invading our city, that being the federal troop and LE deployments.
Miss Bianca
@anotherlurker: I like the way you think.
terraformer
I read in the Milwaukee Journal-sentinel this morning that the leader of the Milwaukee police union is considering asking the orange fartcloud to send NG troops into Milwaukee.
I note that the image for the article show said leader talking at a “T***p/Vance” podium in the runup to the election, with Vance standing next to him:
jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/02/milwaukee-police-union-chief-considering-asking-trump-fo…
Paul in KY
@Tony Jay: The Great Khan and Mayor need to meet with CPD management and the union heads to game it out and get agreements. May have to give concessions to CPD for this, as a certain number of them must be MAGA, etc.
Bill Arnold
@New Deal democrat:
Hemiplegic Shoulder Subluxation
If one wants to push a rumor (YES!), this might be The Way.
Chris S. Sherbak
Would be unfortunate if any of their illegally parked vehicles got towed … Lincoln Towing is a favorite part of every Chicago visit.