Illinois joins legal battle against deploying Guard
By: Sudilsha Kochi
and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
USA Today
WASHINGTON - A third state on October 6 [2025] joined a growing legal fight to attempt to prevent President Donald Trump form sending National Guard troops to blue cities.
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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul field a lawsuit that challenges the Trump administration's 'unlawful deployment of National Guard members in Illinois to perform, federal law enforcement functions," according to a news release.
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Trump has announced he is sending 300 Illinois National Guard troops to Chicago, which joined in the suit.
.... Raoul argues that the deployment exceeds the administration;s authority, and that Trump has not met the legal requirements to justify it. A president can only deploy ht6ose troops "under the following specific, limited circumstances: invasion, rebellion or if the federal government is unable to enforce federal laws," Raoul said.
..... California and Oregon were already in court fifing Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Portland.
..... On October 4, [2025] U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut ruled that Trump could not deploy Oregon National Guard troops to the state's largest city. Then the Pentagon said it had reassigned 200 California National Guard members to Portland. On October 5, [2025] Immergut temporarily blocked the move as well.
..... "How could brining in federalized National Guard form California not be in direct contravention of the (decision) I issued yesterday?" Immergut, a Trump appointee, asked a Trump administration lawyer during ah hearing.
..... The judge said there was no evidence that recent protests necessitated the presence of National Guard troops, mo matter where they came from.
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Earlier on October 5, [2025] California Governor Gavin Newson said he was suing Trump over the order to deploy the California National Guard to Oregon.
..... "After a federal court blocked his attempt to federalize the Oregon National Guard. Donald Trump is deploying 300 California National Guard personnel into Oregon. They are on their way there now," Newson said on X, adding: "We are taking this fight back to count."
..... Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announce an amended lawsuit on October 5 [2025] that added California as a party to its suit.
..... Immergut's ruling, which will remain in effect until at least October 19, [2025] means the Trump administration would be blocked from sending any National Guard troops to Portland while Oregon and California seek a longer-term ruing in court.
..... "President Trump excised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement, " White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told USA Today.
..... Lawyers form the Oregon attorney general's office told federal officials the Portland protests were "small and sedate,"resulting in only 25 arrest in mid -June [2025] and no arrest since June 19. [2025]
..... Contributing: Josy Garrison and Sarah d, Wire, USA Today; Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Jou4rnal-Register, Jonathan Williams and Anastasia Mason, Sala, Statesman journal; Reuters