CHICAGO – Over the past several days, a number of media reports have indicated that President Donald Trump plans to send military troops to Chicago in the near future. In response to these reports, the ACLU of Illinois issued the following statement:
President Trump’s continued threats to send National Guard and federal troops to Chicago reflects all his worst authoritarian instincts. It is unnecessary and simply escalates and inflames his attacks on our democracy.
To be clear — there is no emergency in Chicago to justify the introduction of any military troops. And this step will only make people across our city and the area feel less safe and less secure.
The ACLU of Illinois is committed to protecting fundamental rights and liberties in Chicago and across our state. Where we see violations of basic rights, we will act and demand that Trump and his federal forces are held accountable for these violations.