Duckworth leads pushback against National Guard deployment in Chicago

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is leading aggressive congressional opposition to President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, characterizing the move as a dangerous misuse of military power that violates constitutional principles.

State of play: Despite Gov. JB Pritzker’s opposition, the Trump administration federalized 300 Illinois National Guard members over the weekend, followed by 400 additional troops from Texas arriving at an Army Reserve training facility in Elwood yesterday. This mobilization follows Trump’s late August announcement threatening to deploy forces to address what he described as a “killing field,” despite data showing Chicago’s violent crimes have fallen in record numbers.

Duckworth, a Thai American 23-year combat veteran who lost both legs piloting Black Hawk helicopters in Iraq, told CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday that the federalized Illinois troops are state residents she likely served alongside. Meanwhile, federal court hearings on emergency motions to block the deployments are set for Thursday morning in both Illinois and Oregon.

“A known liar”: Duckworth challenged the administration’s credibility in her Sunday interview. “They lie, right? The Trump administration lies. We have a president who is a known liar,” she said, urging demonstrators to document all interactions with federal personnel on their phones. The senator further alleged that ICE has used zip ties on children during nighttime apartment operations, tactics she likened to those employed by the Gestapo.

In an earlier statement, she called the federalization “a dangerous, un-American and unconstitutional abuse of our military, intended to instill fear and threaten American civil rights.” Drawing on her military background, she again criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as the “least qualified” person to ever hold the position, citing his recent directive requiring all personnel to meet male fitness benchmarks. She also challenged the administration’s law enforcement narrative, noting Trump redirected $800 million in crime prevention resources away from police departments.

Broader resistance: Duckworth and Sen. Dick Durbin co-led a letter from all Democratic members of the state’s congressional delegation, including Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, demanding Trump cancel the troop deployment. In the letter, the lawmakers argued the action threatens both civil liberties and public safety and that domestic policing falls outside military responsibilities.

Beyond Illinois, a multi-city coalition filed a legal brief backing Oregon’s challenge, revealing Trump’s reported plans to send military forces to 19 more states. In a separate statement responding to the Texas deployment, Duckworth called the cross-border action an extreme abuse of presidential power that turns states against each other.

What’s next: The immediate focus turns to Thursday’s federal court hearings in Illinois and Oregon, where judges will decide whether to block the Guard deployments. Illinois Atty. Gen. Kwame Raoul told NPR that the conditions to legally justify troop deployments simply do not exist, arguing the only chaos in Chicago comes from ICE and Border Patrol firing pepper gas at civilians and journalists. The legal battle could set precedent for whether Trump can deploy Guard forces across state lines without local consent, a question with implications for 19 additional states where similar deployments are reportedly planned.

Duckworth has called on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to withdraw his support, though the latter has shown no signs of backing down.