WEST LOOP (WBBM Newsradio) - National Guard forces are reportedly closer than ever to being deployed to the Chicago area, according to new information from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
The governor told reporters during an update at state office buildings in the West Loop on Monday that he'd received word from the Illinois National Guard that the Department of Homeland Security had sent a request to the Department of War for 100 troops to be sent to Illinois to protect ICE agents and facilities.
"What I have been warning of is being realized," said the governor, who called it a "pretext" for bringing armed military forces into Chicago and other cities.
The governor and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also denounced last weekend's appearance by armed ICE agents on Michigan Avenue, describing encounters including detaining a family near Millennium Park, and forcing a passerby to present their papers.
"These are heartbreaking scenes that have nothing to do with making our city safer," said the mayor. "My question for these masked, heavily armed individuals is simple: what could you possibly need an automatic weapon for?"
Leaders also condemned reports of increased aggressiveness by authorities guarding the ICE processing facility in west suburban Broadview, including the arrest of a journalist and an apparent chemical irritant fired at CBS News Chicago reporter Asal Rezaei, during a time when no demonstrations were happening.
"This is about sowing fear," said the governor, who again urged people to use their smartphone cameras to record ICE activity and share it on social media: "We need to let the world know what is happening."