CHICAGO, IL (WBBM Newsradio) - Illinois Governor, J.B. Pritzker, fielded questions from reporters on Monday, about President Donald Trump’s recent directive for ICE to expand deportations in Chicago and other Democratic led cities.
“I do not believe that he will call out the national guard, I think you’ve seen that this has not gone well for him politically, and he’s all about the politics. I think what he’s done in California has really hurt him politically, so I don’t think he’ll do it in other places.”, said Pritzker.
Asked what he would do, should the Illinois National Guard be deployed by the president in Illinois to assist in federal immigration enforcement operations, the governor started first by saying that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has already joined a lawsuit, in regard to the calling out of the national guard in California.
“Title 10 is the president’s right to call out the national guard, for certain purposes”, said Pritzker.
Pritzker’s understanding of this, having been through two U.S.
presidents in his time as Illinois governor, is that the President’s authority with the national guard sits almost entirely with foreign operations and deployment at the nation’s borders.
“Calling out the national guard on U.S. soil, against U.S.
citizens and residents, is really unusual, and it is really supposed to be reserved for a true rebellion or insurrection.”, Pritzker adds.
Having already witnessed the power of President Trump’s will to push the limits of what might be considered legal, Governor Pritzker says it will likely be in the hands of the courts to rule on what’s best, however he is certain that Illinois will soon see more of ICE, teaming up with federal law enforcement partners in Chicago and across the state.
The governor says that he takes issue with immigration enforcement activity that targets tax paying, law-abiding, long time Illinois residents.
“I think those are the wrong people to go after, we ought to go after the violent criminals. People who get convicted of violent crimes, who are undocumented, should be thrown out of this country, they should be taken out of Illinois and thrown out of this country. That is not what they’re doing”, said Pritzker.