JB Pritzker (00:00):
Good afternoon.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good afternoon.
JB Pritzker (00:00):
Earlier today, the State of Illinois filed a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump's unlawful and unwarranted plans to deploy armed military troops to Chicago. There is no invasion here. There is no insurrection here. And local and state law enforcement are on the job and managing what they need to.
(00:00)
Without my permission and against my vigorous objections, the president has federalized 300 Illinois National Guard military troops and hundreds of National Guard members from Texas, and he has ordered them to activate for duty in Illinois. I have called upon Governor Abbott to immediately withdraw his support for this decision and refuse to allow Texas National Guard members to be used in this way.
(00:00)
Let me be clear, Donald Trump is using our service members as political props and as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation's cities. I want to thank Attorney General Kwame Raoul and his staff, along with my general counsel, Ann Spillane, and our excellent governor's office legal team, for working tirelessly for weeks now to prepare federal lawsuits in anticipation of this unconstitutional invasion of Illinois by the federal government.
(00:00)
For weeks now, Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, and Gregory Bovino, have brought their militarized CBP and ICE agents to the streets of Chicago to cause violence and chaos in this city. They need to stop inciting our city's residents. Since the beginning of this invasion, families have been snatched up off the streets or removed from their homes, zip-tied and detained for hours, including, especially, US citizens and legal residents of our state. And in the words of CBP Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino, they're being chosen by how they look.
(00:00)
Peaceful protestors have been hit with teargas and shot with rubber bullets. Journalists simply reporting the facts on the ground have been targeted and arrested. US citizens, including children, have been traumatized and detained. This escalation of violence is targeted and intentional and premeditated. The Trump administration is following a playbook, cause chaos, create fear and confusion, make it seem like peaceful protestors are a mob, by firing gas pellets and teargas canisters at them. Why? To create the pretext for invoking the Insurrection Act, so that he can send military troops to our city. He wants to justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command.
(00:00)
I want to take you through the steps that he's taken to follow the playbook and show how it is playing out real-time here in Illinois.
(00:00)
When I first heard reports of Trump's plan to send armed military troops into our streets, more than 100 elected officials, business leaders, clergy, law enforcement, educators, and community organizations, gathered on August 25th to send an unequivocal message to Donald Trump, "We don't want troops on the streets of Chicago."
(00:00)
There was never an insurrection or an invasion on the ground that justified the deployment of the military to our American city. We stood out there on a beautiful day at River Point Park to make that point. Donald Trump's deranged depiction of Chicago as a hellhole, a war zone, and the worst and most dangerous city in the world, was just complete BS. He clearly has decided to declare war on a great American city that has the lowest homicide rate in 60 years, In a state that has record employment and near record tourism. And he's done it for some unspoken reason.
(00:00)
I spent the days and weeks following that, out and about in our communities, in Bronzeville, in Austin, in Little Village, Berwyn, South Shore, and others, walking and talking and listening to real Chicagoans and local business owners. Something Donald Trump, Greg Bovino, Tom Homan, and Kristi Noem have never bothered to do. No insurrections, no invasions. The folks in the neighborhoods do not want armed troops marching in their streets. When it comes to public safety, they want civilian law enforcement when they need them, and jobs, and afterschool programs for kids in the neighborhoods. They do not want Donald Trump to occupy their communities.
(00:00)
Then the Trump invasion began. Since ICE and CBP announced their operations on September 8th, our people have been subjected to violence, intimidation, and harassment. They have struck fear in our communities, including, notably, fear in the hearts of US citizens. Trump and the thuggery that his agents have brought has actively made us less safe.
(00:00)
Less than a week later, on September 12th, ICE shot and killed a man in Franklin Park, a nearby suburb of Chicago. His name was Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez. Reports say that he had just dropped his kids off at daycare and was headed to work. Shortly after that incident, ICE issued a statement justifying the killing, saying that the federal agent was seriously injured, sustained multiple injuries, and was dragged a significant distance. Immediately, we were left with more questions than answers, and frankly, the story just didn't add up. I demanded a full accounting into the facts of the situation. The community was rightfully distraught. Even Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, demanded answers.
(00:00)
The facts are coming out, and they are raising even more questions. The Chicago Sun-Times obtained body camera footage from Franklin Park PD. The agent said on camera, his injuries were nothing major, and that he was dragged a little bit. As a reminder, DHS said that the agent was seriously injured, sustained multiple injuries, and was dragged a significant distance. Silverio's children have now been left without a father, and they and the public deserve to know the truth. There's been zero accountability or transparency from ICE or the administration.
(00:00)
Last week, federal agents dressed in camouflage gear, conducted a military-style raid on an apartment building in South Shore, a neighborhood of Chicago. They brought Black Hawk military helicopters and more than 100 agents in full tactical gear. Even though it was supposedly a very dangerous and important mission, they brought dozens of cameras and set them up so that they could film their attack on the building in HD for social media. See for yourself.
Video (00:00):
[inaudible 00:08:55]. Get out of the way from the [inaudible 00:08:55].
(00:00)
[inaudible 00:08:57].
JB Pritzker (00:00):
So, even though they documented the raid, their propaganda video conveniently left out important facts. In the dead of night and seemingly for the cameras, armed federal agents emerged from the Black Hawk helicopters, rappelling onto the roof of that apartment building. According to media reports, the agents ransacked multiple apartments and detained almost everyone in the building, including US citizens and children, who had done nothing wrong.
(00:00)
Witnesses told reporters that federal officers zip-tied the hands of people, including children and seniors. Some, including US citizens, were detained in the back of vans for hours. Seemingly proud of this shameful treatment of innocent people, they recorded it and Kristi Noem posted the video, bragging about the operation.
(00:00)
Since we sat through that propaganda, I think it's important to hear directly from members of the community who experienced this takeover of the building.
Video (00:00):
Neighbors like Ebony Watson says they ducked for cover as they-
JB Pritzker (00:00):
I don't know if we can get the volume up.
Video (00:00):
… heard several flash bangs go off.
(00:00)
They was terrified. The kids was crying. People were screaming. They looked very distraught. I was out there crying when I seen the little girl come around the corner, because they was bringing the kids out too. Had them zip-tied to each other. That's all I kept asking, "Where is the morality? Where is the human?" One of them literally laughed, he was standing right here. He said, "(Censored) them kids."
(00:00)
Watson says Budget trucks and military-style vans were used to separate parents from their children. Other neighbors say they saw-
JB Pritzker (01:12):
All right. Let's move on. No one can hear it, although ABC 7 gets credit for the video. You can't … Okay.
Video (01:12):
They had a big 15-inch chainsaw with a round blade on it, cutting this fence down. We're under siege. We're being invaded by our own military.
(01:12)
The FBI did confirm this morning that they did help US Border Patrol carry out a targeted immigration enforcement operation in this area, and they say they have been supporting these efforts at the direction of the US attorney general.
JB Pritzker (01:12):
Imagine being a child awakened in the middle of the night by a Black Hawk helicopter landing on your roof. Imagine an armed stranger entering your home and forcibly removing you from your bed, zip-tying your hands, separating you from your family, and detaining you in a dark van for hours. This didn't happen in some faraway authoritarian regime. It happened right here in Chicago. Right here in the United States of America. The reports of excessive use of force against children is unconscionable. And the way many innocent residents who lived in the building were treated is appalling.
(01:12)
In response, I've directed the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide support and to evaluate the treatment of the children who were traumatized. If they find suspected abuse or neglect by federal agents, the state will be taking every possible action to hold those individuals accountable.
(01:12)
Now, I'd like to turn to some examples of the more egregious actions that we've seem from ICE, CBP, and the other federal agents. Over the past several weeks it has been made abundantly clear that Trump's invasion force is not going after the worst of the worst, like he said. They're harassing and detaining many people based only on the color of their skin, tamale vendors, delivery people, people looking for work at Home Depot, and even families just out and about enjoying themselves on a sunny day.
(01:12)
Dasha Ramirez, and eight-year-old girl, and her family, were detained by federal agents while enjoying a day in Millennium Park. Witnesses saw her crying and clutching here doll. Honestly, what danger did they represent? What is it that they presented that was so awful? And how did detaining them make anyone safer?
(01:12)
Federal agents have been openly carrying assault rifles Downtown, racially profiling people, and based on that, demanding proof of citizenship, and snatching people up in our neighborhoods without a judicial warrant. All of it, rightfully, has Illinoisans very upset. In the small suburban village of Broadview, with a population of 8,000, federal agents have turned two blocks of protest areas into a war zone, by firing chemical agents and teargas at peaceful protestors. They've used rubber bullets and flash bangs. Agents reportedly unholstered their guns and pointed them at-
Speaker 2 (01:12):
… agents reportedly unholstered their guns and pointed them at peaceful protestors. They arrested a journalist who was a bystander, and they fired a chemical weapon at a CBS reporter in her car. They even detained Juan Munoz, an Oak Park trustee. and they're detaining people for extended periods in a facility not designed for that purpose. After seeing this, I could not, in good faith, allow federal agents to continue inciting people who were there to express their first amendment rights.
(01:12)
At the request of the Broadview Police Department and with the help of the Cook County Sheriff's Office, we sent backup to ensure people could safely express their rights, while also protecting nearby Broadview residents who have ICE and CBP operating in their neighborhoods in an aggressive fashion and interfering with their daily lives.
(01:12)
As someone who has, myself, peacefully protested since I was a kid, I understand the sentiments on the ground from some of the advocates. But I want to say this. Peaceful protestors are welcome. Federal agents who abuse their position to terrorize Illinoisans and incite violence are not welcome. They aren't receiving any orders from Trump to cease and desist their aggressive behavior. Remember, they answer only to Trump, not to the people of Illinois.
(01:12)
In case there's any doubt about that, Noem, Bovino and their agents have been escalating the situation outside the ICE facility and inhibiting the the Broadview police from doing their jobs.
(01:12)
At one point, state police asked CBP leaders for time to move the crowd to avoid any unnecessary confrontations. Rather than give state police time to protect the protestors and the ICE agents, Kristi Noem chose to drive her motorcade through the protestors to create clashes. Shortly after, Bovino came out to threaten mass arrests. These stories are only scratching the surface.
(01:12)
While all of this happened, we got reports that teargas was unnecessarily thrown by agents at people on a busy street in Logan Square, right near an elementary school and a grocery store. A Chicago alderman, at a hospital, asked masked officers some questions about someone they detained. And she was arrested for it.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
He has constitutional rights.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
No. No.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
He has constitutional rights.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
No.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Do you have a signed judicial warrant for him?
Speaker 4 (01:12):
No, you need to leave. Turn around, you're intruding. Turn around and leave.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
He's under [inaudible 00:17:48]-
Speaker 4 (01:12):
I'm going to arrest you if you do not leave.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
[inaudible 00:17:52] placed under arrest.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Do you have a signed judicial warrant-
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Turn around.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Do you have a signed judicial warrant for him?
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Can somebody go on the hallway and get Lisa for me please?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Do you have a signed judicial warrant for him?
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Can somebody go on the hallway and get Lisa for me? This is an alderperson who's being under arrest.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Do you have a signed judicial warrant for him?
Speaker 6 (01:12):
I need my other staffer who's in the hallway by registration to come her, please.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
You are hurting me.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
We told you-
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I am asking you. I'm not [inaudible 00:18:14]-
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Can somebody get my staffer, please.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
… I am asking you. This is a hospital. Do you have a signed judicial warrant for him?
Speaker 5 (01:12):
[inaudible 00:18:20]
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I am asking. I am asking. I did not touch you.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
We told you to leave and you're impeding. Now you're under arrest for impeding.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I did not touch you. I did not touch you. I asked you if you had a signed judicial warrant for him.
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Thank you. Is Lisa still out there?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
It is very simple. It is very simple. That man has constitutional rights.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
We do not need a warrant.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I did not touch you. This is a public space. I am not trespassing. I am asking you, do you have a signed judicial warrant? I am asking you, do you have a signed judicial warrant for him. It is a question sir. You are an agent.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
Ma'am, ma'am, we do not need-
Speaker 3 (01:12):
You are a Federal agent.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
… we do not need a warrant for somebody under arrest.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
You are Federal agent, I am an elected official, and I am asking, do you have a signed judicial warrant? I am the alderman of this ward, I [inaudible 00:19:06]
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Can you keep recording, I need to call…
Speaker 2 (01:12):
If arresting an elected official for peacefully asking questions isn't a demonstration of authoritarianism, then what is? I refuse to let Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, and Gregory Bovino continue on this march toward autocracy. Their plan all along has been to cause chaos, and then they can use that chaos to consolidate Donald Trump's power. They think they can fool us all into thinking that the way to get out of this crisis that they created is to give them free-reign. Well, that plan will only work if we let it.
(01:12)
The state of Illinois is going to use every lever at our disposal to resist this power grab and get Noem's thugs the hell out of Chicago. I'm not afraid. I am not afraid, and I won't back down. Now, before I turn the podium over, the court here has given US Department of Justice two days to respond in writing to the state's TRO motion. They have to respond by midnight Wednesday night, and the next hearing will be on Thursday. And with that, I'd like to pass it over to our terrific attorney general, Kwame Raoul.
Governor JB Pritzker (01:12):
Thank you, Governor. Good afternoon.
Press (01:12):
Good afternoon.
Governor JB Pritzker (15:00):
As we all know, the president has for some time been threatening to deploy the National Guard into Chicago and to the state of Illinois. And that's significant. And he's been threatening to militarize our streets, and in many ways has done so. This morning, I filed a lawsuit challenging the unlawful deployment of the National Guard troops to Illinois, including the Illinois National Guard, the call for the Texas National Guard. And my lawyers have, just as the governor updated you, were just in court arguing these actions.
(15:00)
We're seeking a temporary restraining order and we'll hear from the federal government within a couple of days. The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly for the reason that their city or state leadership has fallen out of the president's political favor.
(15:00)
I said we would be prepared to respond to any unlawful deployment, and that moment has come and we have responded. In the more than 40 lawsuits we have filed challenging the Trump administration's unlawful actions, we've explained that the executive branch has to follow the law. A president cannot go beyond the authority granted by Congress, with regards to deploying the National Guard. The militia clauses of the United States Constitution give Congress sole authority to decide what factual circumstances allow the president to federalize the National Guard.
(15:00)
The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits members of the military from engaging in civilian law enforcement. Just last month, a judge in California recognized that fact. Our local law enforcement have shown, time and time again, that they are effective at maintaining peace throughout Illinois. And the 10th amendment preserves the state's sovereignty and right to do so.
(15:00)
And there is no need or justification for a militarized response to anything going on in Chicago. It is unfair to National Guardsmen. It is unfair to local law enforcement. And it is certainly unfair to the law-abiding citizens of Illinois who do not want to be subject to military occupation. The only situations that are out of control are certain ICE and customs border patrol officers who are engaged in shocking overreach in an attempt to create a crisis.
(15:20)
In fact, President Trump's own statements over time demonstrate that this is not at all about an emergency. He said specifically that he wants to use American cities as military training grounds. He has threatened, using a meme, Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of War.
(15:20)
He has disparaged and threatened to deploy in Chicago for weeks. This is not about an emergency. This is a political targeting utilizing our military. This is not about the federal government being unable to do their job through normal channels. This is about a president's unconstitutional desire to take the unprecedented action of militarizing American cities.
(15:20)
But just this weekend, a Judge in Oregon issued a temporary restraining order stopping the administration similar actions in Oregon. As the judge said in the ruling, this is a nation of constitutional law, not martial law. Donald Trump's derogatory comments about the City of Chicago started even before he took office. Without any official communication with the state, Operation Midway Blitz began bringing federal immigration teams and unconstitutional detentions and raids that have caused mass panic and protest and injuries, and the shooting of a Franklin Park resident and father during an attempted warrantless vehicle stop by federal agents.
(15:20)
Throughout the month of September, it is federal agents who have escalated tactics. With the head of the Customs and Border Patrol operations in Chicago threatening that ICE would bring a shit show to Broadview, which is what they have created. It was not until September 26, that a memo from DHS was sent to the Department of Defense requesting 100 troops to be sent to protect ICE facilities in Illinois, presumably in reference to Broadview. That memo was emailed to a member of the Illinois National Guard on September 29th requesting troops to integrate with federal law enforcement operations.
(15:20)
The state received no further communication until the morning of October 4th, a Saturday. At that time, Adjutant General Rodney Boyd received a call from the US military asking them to start the process of calling up 300 members of the Illinois National Guard. It was followed by a memo stating that the president has directed the mobilization of at least 300 members of the Illinois National Guard to protect the federal personnel, functions, and property in Illinois, with no further specifics.
(15:20)
The memo explicitly stated that if the state did not agree to the request within two hours, the Secretary of the Department of Defense would federalize and deploy as many National Guard troops as he wants. Because there is no public safety need or other emergency requiring the National Guard intervention, Illinois again declined to voluntarily call up troops that we don't need or want.
(15:20)
Saturday night, General Boyd received a memo purporting to call the Illinois National Guard into federal service under section 12406 of the US Code, even over the objection of the governor. The stated reason for the order is to protect ICE and other US government personnel and federal property. They provided no information about threat assessments or planned operations that were referenced in the memo.
(15:20)
I'm here to say that the president's actions are illegal. The president has failed to establish that any of the legal prerequisites exist for his efforts to mobilize the National Guard's troops here. No president can flout the Constitution. I said we will not hesitate to fight any unlawful deployment. And I want to make sure, to make clear, that our prayer for relief includes borrowing the threatened deployment of the National Guard from the state of Texas or anywhere else.
(15:20)
Last night, last night, we became aware of an undated memo from Secretary Hegseth to Adjutant General of Texas, federalizing the Texas National Guard for service in Illinois, Oregon, and other locations. Deployment of the military to Illinois is unlawful and unconstitutional, no matter where these forces come from.
(15:20)
I want to lift up the hardworking lawyers in the attorney general's office who worked at all times of the night and the wee morning. We were communicating at ungodly hours to put together this complaint. As we speak, the team is just coming from arguing for a temporary restraining order. These same lawyers and…
Kwame Raoul (36:36):
… restraining order. These same lawyers and others on my staff, as well as on the governor's staff and the city corporation council staff, toiled over the past year responding to numerous threats and our lawyers have as you know filed over 40 lawsuits.
(36:36)
These lawyers are the true American heroes. Collectively we will continue to fight on behalf of the citizens of Illinois and the American people at large. With that I would like to pass it on to our mayor.
Brandon Johnson (36:36):
Thank you, Mr. Attorney General. Thank you to the governor. Good afternoon, everyone.
Speaker 7 (36:36):
Good afternoon.
JB Pritzker (36:36):
Good afternoon.
Brandon Johnson (38:06):
I'm grateful for all of the elected leaders that are here, our congressional delegation, as well as our Cook County Board President which you'll hear from shortly. Today I stand with all of our elected officials and community leaders in denouncing President Trump's declared war on Chicago and Illinois.
(38:06)
I'm proud the city of Chicago is joining the state of Illinois in our lawsuit against the Trump administration's unlawful deployment of the National Guard in our city and in our state. I've promised that the city of Chicago will do everything in our power to protect the constitutional rights of all Chicagoans, and this lawsuit is the latest demonstration of our commitment.
(38:06)
Let me be absolutely clear. The president is not sending military troops to Chicago to keep us safe. We know this because Trump has a history of targeting Chicago. He issued a series of executive orders attempting to defund so-called sanctuary jurisdictions and sue the city over our welcoming city ordinance. A federal judge recently dismissed that lawsuit and the courts have prevented the Trump administration from restricting the city's funding based on our local laws.
(38:06)
Now that the president has lost those cases, he is changing tactics to send in the guard. He has stated his intentions outright to use our neighborhoods as training grounds for our military. He told them that they are, and they must be prioritized in order to, in his words, defending the homeland against the invasion from within, in American cities run by "radical left democrats" specifically including the city of Chicago.
(38:06)
The only radical is a president trying to deploy National Guard from across the country into our city. We do not need or want the National Guard to police our streets. We want to continue our holistic strategies and partnerships that have led to the safest summer in the city of Chicago in 60 years. Not only will the National Guard deployment make our communities less safe, but it will also have a chilling effect on economic activity in Chicago, as we have seen in other jurisdictions where the president deployed the guard.
(38:06)
And furthermore, deployment of the National Guard will impose costs on CPD and other city departments who will have to respond to protest activity and any issues that may arise from the deployment. This is wrong, fullstop.
(38:06)
With today's litigation we send a message to the president, Chicago will not be used as a political prop, Chicago will not be intimidated, and we will not be silenced. And to our residents, know that we are fighting for you and using every legal avenue to protect your rights, dignity and your humanity.
(38:06)
And lastly, I want to be clear, when we talk about protecting our democracy, we are not just speaking about the right to vote every couple of years. We are speaking about something much deeper and much more profound. We go back to labor leader A. Philip Randolph's definition of democracy. And he said, "A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess." And that means that whether you are a billionaire or a thousandaire or hundredaire, you deserve the exact same rights. The constitution applies to all of our residents.
(38:06)
This president wants to remake a country by the ultrarich and for the ultrarich, and he wants to use the military and his private militarized force to repress the rights of poor and working people. We prefer a government that is of, by and for the people. And that's what we are fighting to protect. And thank you again to the governor, the attorney general, and to our congressional delegation and our county leaders, and to all of our partners that have demonstrated a great deal of unity and courage and persistence in this moment.
(38:06)
Our city has faced tough times before, and every time we stood strong because we stood together. Let's continue to work together to protect our democracy and to fight for the future of our country. With that, please welcome to the podium Cook County Board President, Toni Preckwinkle.
Toni Preckwinkle (38:06):
Thank you, mayor.
(38:06)
Good afternoon.
Speaker 8 (38:06):
Good afternoon.
JB Pritzker (38:06):
Good afternoon.
Toni Preckwinkle (38:06):
I'm grateful to be here with the governor, with the attorney general, with the mayor, and members of our congressional delegation, Jesus Garcia, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Quigley, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Brad Schneider, Robin Kelly and Danny Davis. Thank you all.
(38:06)
For generations our neighborhoods have been built and rebuilt by working people who stand together in hard times. We're not strangers to struggle. And we're also not people who will be intimidated. The Trump administration's authorization of National Guard troops to enter Cook County and Chicago is a dangerous and reckless abuse of power. It's an affront to local governance, a violation of trust and an insult to residents and local law enforcement officers who are working every day to make this city safer and more just.
(38:06)
Slamming human beings to the ground, dragging them in the street. This is not immigration enforcement. It's intimidation. It's fear tactics. It's an illegal abuse of power dressed up as law and order. The truth is that our local leaders, our local police, our community organizations and our residents have been working for years to reimagine what safety means. It's about building trust, investing in prevention, and healing the wounds that have festered far too long. We're working to replace fear with fairness. And this administration would rather send troops than send real help.
(38:06)
We know what this looks like. Deploying the National Guard to Chicago sends a chilling message. It tells us that standing up to the Trump administration is something to be crushed, not heard. That local voices do not matter. The federal government decides to flex its power. This is not democracy. It's authoritarianism plain and simple.
(38:06)
I stand with Governor Pritzker, Attorney General Raoul, Mayor Johnson and every local leader who rejects this federal overreach. Cook County will continue to stand firm in defense of our residents and our democratic values. Cook County will be filing an amicus brief in full support of the state of Illinois's lawsuit to block the Trump administration from deploying federalized National Guard troops in our communities.
(38:06)
The federal government has been extremely clear that they're taking this action not to assist Illinois and local officials, but to use Chicago as a training ground for the military to fight what they dub the war from within. This is direct punishment of state and local government's exercise of their sovereign right to enact constitutional laws and ordinances.
(38:06)
We believe in accountability. We believe in community solutions. And we believe that local problems are best solved by local people. We are a proud, diverse and resilient county. We fought for decades to build a government rooted in equity and inclusion. And we will not allow our efforts to be undermined by a federal government that chooses confrontation over collaboration.
(38:06)
And now I'd like to bring to the podium, congress person, Jesus Garcia.
Jesus Garcia (38:06):
Thank you to all the leaders of Illinois and the Chicagoland Cook County that are assembled here demonstrating once again that Chicago and Illinois are places with strong shoulders and that we will shoulder any injustice and we will tackle any injustice that comes our way as we live this very dangerous moment in our history. The President of the United States has turned the power of government against its own people. In my community, ground zero for these attacks, ICE has created a constant state of siege. People worry about their presence and their tactics every single hour of the day and night.
(38:06)
We've seen masked ICE agents shoot into cars, engage in chemical warfare with bystanders, and even assault parents in front of their children. My grandson who I'm raising with my wife and my wife are terrified. My grandson talks about it every little while and he wants to know if his classmates will be safe, if their parents will be deported. But it's also never been just about immigrants. It's about controlling every one of our communities, brown, Asian, Black and everyone who is Chicagoland and Illinois.
(38:06)
These are not actions of a democracy. These are actions of a tyrant. I took an oath when I became a citizen 46 years ago and again when I was sworn in as a member of the United States Congress and my loyalty is sworn to the US Constitution and only that. And my oath compels me to be here today with our leaders because when a president tries to federalize the National Guard, when he ignores court orders, when his agents break the law and brutalize our community, he is not protecting the country, he is waging war against the country.
(38:06)
This lawsuit is not just about legal arguments, it's about accountability, it's about whether or not we'll allow tyranny to take root on our soil. Donald Trump is pushing the boundaries and daring to believe that the courts, the law, the constitution, no longer matter. We cannot stand for that. Don't lose the faith. We must fight as if the court still mattered because they do. We must stand as if the law has meaning because it does. And we must resist together because only together can we defeat the assault on our communities.
(38:06)
Chicago will not be intimidated. Illinois will not be silenced. History will remember where we stood in this moment, whether we stood tall and/or we shrank in fear. Today we stand tall.
(38:06)
[Spanish 00:42:53]
JB Pritzker (38:06):
Thank you. Happy to take questions from members of the media. Tina.
Tina (38:06):
Governor, can you respond to the [inaudible 00:44:47] executive order today that [inaudible 00:44:50] and use that as their argument to send in the guard and doesn't undercut Illinois lawsuit as well, that language.
Press (38:06):
… [inaudible 00:45:02] the Illinois lawsuit as well [inaudible 00:45:02].
Governor JB Pritzker (38:06):
Obviously this was issued by a mayor who's got the ability to issue executive orders, and she is deeply concerned about the people who live in Broadview and how they've been ill-affected by the challenges in her community as a result of the way ICE is behaving. So I know that it was aimed at that. I can't speak to whether it would affect a lawsuit or … I know this is about though keeping the people of Broadview from being targeted or being unsafe in their communities. I mean, these are folks who are just trying to get to the grocery store or take their kids to school. They live in a community that never had this kind of unrest until Donald Trump decided to do this.
Press (38:06):
Governor!
Governor JB Pritzker (38:06):
Yes.
Press (38:06):
Thank you.
Governor JB Pritzker (38:06):
This gentleman.
(38:06)
Or sorry, Olivia, and then I'll get the gentleman next to you. Mm-hmm.
Press (38:06):
[inaudible 00:45:52] so the judge today said, you know, a temporary refrain from now for at least a couple days it seems. We know that the National Guard is [inaudible 00:46:03] right now. What is the plan for like the next 48 hours while we're waiting for that, and why not file this lawsuit [inaudible 00:46:13]?
Governor JB Pritzker (38:06):
I'll let the attorney general talk about the timing.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul (38:06):
As I said in … And I apologize, Olivia. I did get your message. My lawyers have been toiling for weeks on this issue, as well as other issues. Timing for filing our lawsuit is when they are ready. As you may know if you've read the complaint, it's a 70-page complaint with a over 50-page supporting memorandum with over 300 pages of supporting materials that have been put into place over time and they're facts that evolve over time, including, as I mentioned earlier, us becoming aware of the notion of deploying the Texas National Guard last night. We didn't know that Saturday, we didn't know that Sunday morning, we didn't … You know. And so facts evolve. And so we file a lawsuit not in a rush to just say that we're responding, but we work hard to make sure it's right, it's right by the law, it's right by the facts, and we file it when it's ready.
Press (38:06):
Mayor Johnson-
(38:06)
So you did know about the Illinois National Guard being deployed [inaudible 00:47:29], so why not file it [inaudible 00:47:33]?
Attorney General Kwame Raoul (38:06):
I've known of talks about the Illinois National Guard for weeks, but it was not ripe for filing. Your interpretation from perhaps a journalistic point of view is different from that from a legal point of view. I don't want to file a lawsuit that's summarily dismissed because it's not ripe for filing.
Press (38:06):
Mayor Johnson!
(38:06)
Governor! So-
(38:06)
Is Mayor Johnson allowed to answer a question? Mayor Johnson [inaudible 00:47:59]?
Governor JB Pritzker (50:43):
I just want to … Can I just repeat … I want to make sure that you understand, the ripeness of it is very, very important, that there are certain triggers that allow you to file a lawsuit. I can't, in anticipation of one of you taking some action, without any evidence of you doing it, actually file a lawsuit against you; and nor could the state of Illinois file a lawsuit against the President of the United States or the federal government or ICE without the actual calling up of those troops. So it's when did I receive notice?
(50:43)
And remember that Oregon had to go back into court to extend that TRO to the Texas and California National Guard that were being called up. In Illinois, we wanted to make sure we had that covered on the first time out.
Press (53:24):
Governor, [inaudible 00:48:50]-
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:48:49].
(53:24)
Governor [inaudible 00:48:52] describe the [inaudible 00:48:51]-
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:48:50]-
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Yes. Sorry. This …
Press (53:24):
Oh. Me?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Yeah.
Press (53:24):
So obviously ISP has been out there. Do you expect that ISP presence will [inaudible 00:48:59] or do you expect … You know, if the National Guard does go to Broadview, does begin assisting ICE [inaudible 00:49:07] if they pull back further, what do you see will [inaudible 00:49:11] get to that part?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
The role of local law enforcement to protect the people who are protesting and their First Amendment rights, the people of Broadview that have been called up by the Broadview police, that's their role is to back up local police and make sure that the people in that area are kept safe. That doesn't change because there are federalized Illinois National Guard. They're under the orders of the President of the United States and the Illinois State Police is under the control of the state government and of me.
Press (53:24):
Governor!
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:49:45].
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Jacob.
Press (53:24):
I've heard you describe how the-
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:49:47], I have a question for [inaudible 00:49:48]-
(53:24)
Excuse me for one second, sir.
(53:24)
Fine.
(53:24)
I've heard you describe today the presence of the federal law enforcement here as illegal and unconstitutional. You have said it's a pretext to the indication of the Insurrection Act. You have said you will use all authorities at your disposal as the governor of the state to push back on this. And I just heard you talk about your control of the state police here.
(53:24)
Beyond legal challenges, what does that pushback against the potential implication of the Insurrection Act look like?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Yeah-
Press (53:24):
Would you order the state police to arrest or detain federal officials or stand in the way of federal law enforcement?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
No, we follow the law in Illinois. We follow the law. Unlike Donald Trump, we follow the law. We have made sure that, again, under state law that we've provided funding for programs so that people know their rights so that they can protect themselves. That's first and foremost. We've made sure that we've pleaded with the public to take action by using their phones to videotape anything and everything that they see. We want to make sure that that's recorded. It's why we were able to even show some video here today. And again, beyond going to court, we have encouraged people to shop at small businesses, to help out your neighbors. We've provided support for those children who have been traumatized, and for their families, by those attacks. But it is the courts in the end that are going to have to rule on whether or not Donald Trump has the ability to call up National Guard from another state or from our state-
Press (53:24):
[inaudible 00:51:17].
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:51:18], are you above federal law?
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:51:21] you would not direct the state police in any way-
(53:24)
Are you above federal law?
(53:24)
… To stop an operation by the federal government [inaudible 00:51:24]?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
The job of our state police, the mission that they have been given is to keep the people who are in Broadview and who are protesting safe from ICE, who have been firing gas pellets at people when they've been peacefully protesting.
Press (53:24):
[inaudible 00:51:37].
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:51:37] does it mean to keep them safe? Does it mean to physically stop the ICE agents from doing those types of activity?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Again, we follow the law. They're federal-
Press (53:24):
[inaudible 00:51:46].
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
They're federal agents following what their orders are; we have our state police following my orders and the orders of the director of the state police.
Press (53:24):
Governor!
(53:24)
Governor Pritzker, are you above federal law?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Shia.
Press (53:24):
I have a little bit of a broader question. Can you tell me whether the government shutdown and the debate about healthcare for undocumented immigrants is somehow helping escalate this war on immigration? Is it all connected or not?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
No. The only connection that you could ever find in that regard is that Donald Trump likes to go after Democrats, political opponents. You know, he's called the Democratic Party a leftist … His organization, his White House has called the Democratic Party a terrorist organization. He is attacking anybody that's opposed to him. So that's the only connection I can find. Otherwise, the reality is that he's just going after everybody that he views as standing in his way of imposing his authoritarian rule.
Press (53:24):
Governor, is your rhetoric causing violence?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Toman.
Press (53:24):
Governor, can I ask a question to Mayor Johnson?
(53:24)
Is your [inaudible 00:53:24] rhetoric, your civil war rhetoric causing the violence?
(53:24)
Mayor, [inaudible 00:53:24] today that-
(53:24)
Go ahead.
(53:24)
… That he doesn't have the power to arrest federal agents. So how could you enforce your executive order [inaudible 00:53:24]?
Mayor Brandon Johnson (53:24):
The executive orders are about ensuring that we are protecting the people of Chicago and defending our democracy. I've given very direct instructions to ensure that all of our sister agencies in our city departments are doing just that: upholding the local ordinances, and again, protecting and defending the rights of every single resident.
(53:24)
You know, as far as being able to enforce the measures that we have put forward, one, we're going to use every single tool that's available to us. And as I've stated before, you just heard the governor express it as well, this battle is going to take place in the courts and in our communities.
(53:24)
Here's what's most important here, is that the people in this city, in this state and throughout the county, is that we're all united around protecting the fundamental right to be able to have a democracy. And that's going to simply mean that we're going to have to organize on the ground. This is not just simply about a battle between authority. This is about making sure that the 700 people who showed up on the north side of Chicago to organize, to build the resistance … That's a clear example of how the organizing on the ground plays an incredible role in defending people.
(53:24)
It's going to take everything: litigation, executive orders, legislation, and I believe most importantly, the people of this city, the county, and the state and throughout the country pushing back against tyranny.
(53:24)
Thank you there.
Press (53:24):
Mayor Johnson-
(53:24)
So Mr. Mayor-
(53:24)
… Is calling for a civil war causing violence?
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:54:41]-
(53:24)
Is your civil war language and [inaudible 00:54:42]-
(53:24)
Governor, using federal officers to solve [inaudible 00:54:46] and residents who are just yelling at [inaudible 00:54:50] exercising their First Amendment rights, how do you expect to maintain law and order and protect citizens who are actively exercising their First Amendment rights without [inaudible 00:54:59]?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Yeah, let me be clear. Every instance that you're talking about is something that was incited by a federal agent.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul (53:24):
Yeah.
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Everything you're talking about. So just to remind everybody, this is the pretext. They are creating an environment in which they're inciting people to do something more than just peacefully protest. When you're firing at people who are doing nothing more than yelling their First Amendment rights, saying what they believe, or holding signs, that's inciting people.
(53:24)
So we're trying to make sure that we're standing between ICE officials, CBP, let's not forget them, officials, and the peaceful protestors so that ICE and CBP are not firing at them and that we're doing our best to protect them. That's what we can do.
(53:24)
Now we will record everything. We are trying to record as many things as we can; make sure there is video and testimony to what these federal agents are doing. And the federal government, normally, normally, there are inspectors general, there are investigators that will investigate a circumstance of a federal agent breaking the law. If that doesn't take place, and we have evidence to back up if they do, but we are doing those. And again, I gave you the example of DCFS and the Department of Human Services doing their job to look at those records and to talk to the people who've been affected.
(53:24)
There are also private attorneys, I want to add, who are going after this, because there is also private right of action for people. So in addition to the work that the attorney general is doing, there are organizations like the ACLU who are filing lawsuits against the folks at CBP and ICE.
(53:24)
I just want to say one other thing about CBP, because I don't think people are paying attention to this fact. CPB is only allowed to operate within a certain number of miles of the border. Well, they have declared that the border is at the shores of Lake Michigan.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul (53:24):
Mm-hmm.
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
That is why they're allowed to operate now, or at least why they're being told they're allowed to operate, in the city of Chicago. That doesn't seem right to me. The border, as far as I know … First of all, if you go all the way across Lake Michigan, you'll find a border, but also more than a thousand miles away from here is the border on the south of the United States.
Press (53:24):
Governor, [inaudible 00:57:39] the people of Illinois [inaudible 00:57:40]-
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Rose.
Press (53:24):
… To use the National Guard to protect the DOC [inaudible 00:57:48], but not to protect their legal rights as citizens, Governor?
(53:24)
[inaudible 00:57:44] it was reported today that Trump has said that … He confirmed that Texas troops are on their way and that they're going to perform duties starting as early as tomorrow. Any response to that Texas troops may be on their way [inaudible 00:57:56]?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Well, first, they should stay the hell out of Illinois. I've been very clear about that. We do not need troops from some other place being send into the state of Illinois. Or any troops, to be honest with you.
(53:24)
Although I have to say, I have great affection for the Illinois National Guard. They do excellent work. They are trained to protect not only the state of Illinois, but the United States. And they are sent abroad to do that. They are trained as soldiers, and instead, they're being conscripted into something that would make them something like a police officer.
Press (53:24):
Why was [inaudible 00:58:30] the DOC?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
And yet they don't have the training to back that up.
Press (53:24):
Why was [inaudible 00:58:37] the DOC?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
They have amazing training, but not to be on the street making arrests or doing crowd control.
Press (53:24):
And I guess along with that, any message that you would send to Governor Abbott?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
I have. I've been very clear to Governor Abbott. Not the first time, as you know. But I have been very clear that he should withdraw his approval of the president calling up his Texas National Guard. And again, Governor Abbott should stay the hell out of Illinois' business.
Press (53:24):
[inaudible 00:59:01].
Speaker 9 (53:24):
Last one [inaudible 00:59:01].
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
Yep. Sir in the back.
Press (53:24):
Governor, what do you make of the mayor's idea of setting up ICE-free zones [inaudible 00:59:07] something [inaudible 00:59:08] the state of Illinois [inaudible 00:59:12]?
Governor JB Pritzker (53:24):
I haven't look at it, to be honest with you, and I … What I know is that we want to be able to protect the people of the state of Illinois, and all of the efforts, whether it's by mayors or by the governor, are really aimed at exactly that, so …
(53:24)
Thank you all very much.
Mayor Brandon Johnson (53:24):
Thanks.