CHICAGO – In response to today’s ruling by U.S. District Court Judge April Perry blocking the federalizing and deploying of National Guard to Illinois over the objection of the Governor, the ACLU of Illinois released the following statement:

“We applaud today's decision,” said Colleen Connell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. “The court rejected the Trump Administration’s imaginary emergency to justify federalizing the National Guard and deploying them in Illinois. The law does not allow a President to abuse his authority and federalize the Guard simply because a majority of people in Chicago and across the region oppose the Administration’s policies. We are grateful that Governor Pritzker, Attorney General Raoul, and Mayor Johnson have stood up to this abuse.”

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Fighting Back Against Federal Abuses of Power

We continue to challenge Trump’s abuse of power nationwide in the courts, in legislatures, and on the ground in Illinois and across the country.