Military troops arrived at an Elwood training center after weeks of threats from President Donald Trump’s administration, over the objections of local leaders.
After weeks of threats from President Donald Trump to deploy military troops into Illinois over the vehement objections of Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democratic leaders, Texas National Guard members arrived early Tuesday at a southwest suburban military training site ahead of an operation to protect federal immigration agents and facilities.
Local government officials confirmed the Texas National Guard’s arrival and said communication channels had been opened between their office and the Guard. Sun-Times journalists saw troops moving between mobile barracks staged at the U.S. Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood, about 50 miles outside of Chicago.
Gov. JB Pritzker told the Sun-Times the Texas National Guard is using the federal Joliet area facility because he has not allowed them to use state facilities. Pritzker has repeatedly said he has received no communications from the Trump administration about deployment.
“The reports are, that is where they are. That’s where they arrived. Remember, they’re arriving, thinking that they’re going to have to spend weeks here,” Pritzker said. “And so they’ve got to have a bunk and a place to unpack and such.”
“They are not on the streets of Elwood, and that’s because that’s where they had to go because I refused to allow them to use state facilities,” said Pritzker, who has called the deployment an “invasion.”
The troops showed up a day after a federal judge rejected a request from Pritzker and Illinois Attorney Gen. Kwame Raoul to immediately bar the deployment. A hearing on the temporary restraining order sought by Illinois leaders was scheduled for Thursday.
During a White House briefing, Trump said he was still considering invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy troops, a move that could bypass the court fight being waged by Pritzker and Raoul.
