Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker urged residents late Tuesday night to document their encounters with federal agents, following his announcement that President Donald Trump intends to send 100 National Guard troops to the state.
“People of Illinois, we need your help. Get your cell phones out – record what you see. Put it on social media. Peacefully ask for badge numbers and identification. Speak up for your neighbors. We need to let the world know this is happening – and that we won’t stand for it,” the Democrat governor posted on X.
Pritzker was responding to reports of dozens of armed federal agents patrolling downtown Chicago on Sunday, some of whom had detained individuals. That evening, agents in full tactical gear deployed chemical agents near the ICE facility in Broadview. The governor has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s use of federal agents to stem illegal immigration.
“This is not about fighting crime or about public safety. This is about sowing fear and intimidation and division among Americans. It was about creating a pretext to send armed military troops into our communities. This is about consolidating power in Donald Trump’s hands,” Pritzker told reporters on Monday.
Trump has for weeks threatened the use of force in the Windy City, calling it a “hellhole” and presenting reporters with more grim statistics of the city’s weekly murder rates.
Following the shooting in Dallas last week at an ICE field office, Attorney General Pam Bondi signed a memo on Monday directing agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other Justice Department agencies to assist in guarding ICE facilities.
In a statement shared on X, Bondi said the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives should “immediately direct all necessary officers and agents to defend ICE facilities and personnel whenever and wherever they come under attack.” Bondi also announced the formation of a temporary “ICE Protection Task Force” that could include federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
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