Illinois sued the Trump administration over its plan to deploy National Guard troops to the Chicago area, setting off a fresh legal battle over the president’s authority to use soldiers to respond to protests over his immigration crackdown.
The lawsuit was filed hours after a judge in Portland, Oregon, issued an emergency order blocking a similar troop deployment to that state. The suit escalates a growing clash between Democratic-led states and President Donald Trump over the use of National Guard troops in cities he describes as crime-ridden.
The lawsuit, which was filed by state of Illinois and City of Chicago, accuses Trump of attempting to use National Guard troops “to punish his political enemies.” The deployment infringes on the state’s sovereignty and right to self-governance, according to the filing.
“The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor,” the two parties argued in the lawsuit.
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
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