Reference News Network, October 8 report. According to Associated Press, on October 6, Illinois leaders went to court to stop President Trump from sending the National Guard to Chicago. This move escalated the conflict between Democratic-led states and the Republican administration over radical immigration enforcement actions in Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States.

Hours before this legal challenge, a judge blocked the deployment of the National Guard in Portland, Oregon.

The lawsuit in Chicago has further intensified tensions, as the city just experienced a violent weekend: authorities said a woman was shot by a federal officer when several border patrol vehicles were surrounded and attacked by other vehicles. The chief of police in Chicago denied claims that city police had taken sides with the government during the turmoil.

The Trump administration has portrayed related cities as war-torn, lawless places in its efforts to combat illegal immigration. Officials in Illinois and Oregon stated that military intervention is not needed, and the federal government's involvement is exacerbating tensions.

The lawsuit stated, "President Trump's long-standing 'war' against Chicago and Illinois is illegal and dangerous." Illinois Governor Jay Robert Pritzker said a court hearing is scheduled for the 9th.

"Donald Trump is using our soldiers as political pawns, as pieces in his illegal militarization of our cities," said Pritzker, a Democrat.

Pritzker also said that about 300 Illinois National Guard members will be mobilized and deployed to Chicago by the federal government, along with another 400 National Guard members from Texas who will also be deployed to the city.

Pritzker called the upcoming deployment an "invasion by Trump" and urged Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott to prevent the deployment.

However, Abbott refuted that the deployment was necessary to protect federal employees in Chicago, which is part of the president's efforts to strengthen immigration enforcement.

Abbot posted a photo on social media platform X on the evening of the 6th showing Texas National Guard members boarding an aircraft, but did not specify where they were going.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson confirmed in a statement released over the weekend that Trump authorized the use of Illinois National Guard members, citing that local leaders failed to quell "ongoing violence and lawlessness."

Fully armed border patrol officers carrying out arrests near famous landmarks have increased concerns among Chicago residents. Last month, Chicago began a crackdown on immigration, with border patrol operations targeting areas with high immigrant populations and predominantly Latino neighborhoods.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said on the 6th that he signed an executive order banning federal immigration enforcers from using city-owned property, such as parking lots, garages, and open spaces, as staging areas for enforcement actions.

According to Reuters, on October 6, Illinois and the city of Chicago sued the Trump administration to prevent the deployment of federal National Guard forces to Chicago. At present, hundreds of National Guard members from Texas are heading to Chicago.

Trump escalated the conflict with Democratic-led states and cities over the use of military force within the country, threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act to bypass court restrictions on deploying troops in areas where local officials do not want them stationed.

Illinois filed the lawsuit in response to a weekend order from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, which required 300 Illinois National Guard members to be placed under federal control, followed by the deployment of 400 Texas National Guard members to Chicago.

Regional Judge April Perry allowed the federal government to continue deploying troops in Chicago while responding to Illinois' lawsuit. Before the dispute in Illinois, a federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked the Trump administration from sending National Guard forces to maintain order in the state's largest city, Portland, on the 5th.

Shortly after Judge Perry made her ruling, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he might invoke the 1792 Insurrection Act, which allows the military to directly participate in civil enforcement, a practice that has been rare in recent years.

Trump said, "If it's necessary, I will do it. So far, it hasn't been necessary. But we have the Insurrection Act for a reason. If it must be implemented, I will do it. If someone is killed, and the courts block us, or the governor and mayor block us, I will certainly do it." (Translated by Guo Jun)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7558693336568087092/

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