JB Pritzker

Violent protests, legally questionable immigration raids and the deployment of National Guard troops without the governor’s approval will be at the forefront of state lawmakers’ minds when they return to Springfield on Tuesday.

A federal judge in Chicago on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ordering the federalization and deployment of the National Guard of the United States within Illinois.

Gov. JB Pritzker responded Wednesday morning, writing on X, “I will not back down. Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”

Military troops arrived at an Elwood training center after weeks of threats from President Donald Trump’s administration, over the objections of local leaders.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says he doesn't trust the Trump administration to only give legal orders to the troops.

A federal judge on Monday declined to immediately block the Trump administration from sending National Guard troops to Chicago, but she strongly urged federal officials to hold off deploying guardsmen until Thursday, when she will hear arguments in the case.

Illinois asked a judge to block the Trump administration from federalizing the Illinois National Guard and from sending Guard members from other states, but the judge declined to do so, for now.

President Donald Trump’s move comes after Gov. JB Pritzker said earlier this week the Department of Homeland Security requested deployment of 100 military troops to Illinois “for the protection of ICE personnel and facilities.”

The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to send 100 military troops to Chicago, according to Gov. JB Pritzker, who assailed the move as the Trump administration’s latest — yet not unforeseen — push to consolidate power.

Conservative Illinois GOP candidate Ted Dabrowski discusses the most pressing issues in the state and how he hopes to deal with them if elected in 2026.