Governor JB Pritzker to speak Monday on President Donald Trump's plans for possible Chicago National Guard deployment
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CHICAGO (WLS) — There is growing resistance to President Donald Trump’s possible plan to send National Guard troops to Chicago.

Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Mayor Brandon Johnson will hold a news conference Monday to speak out against any deployment.

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ABC News confirmed that planning is underway, but no official decision has been made.

Mayor Brandon Johnson says there’s been no communication from the White House, but multiple reports say the Trump administration has been planning for National Guard troops in Chicago for weeks.

A Pentagon spokesperson said, “We won’t speculate on further operations. The Department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.”

Monday morning, President Trump doubled down on ramping up deployments of the National Guard to Democratic cities like he did in Washington, D.C.

“Chicago, Illinois is a disaster. I have property there. It’s a disaster what’s going on in Chicago, and you get Pritzker, ‘He’s violating our rights,'” President Trump said. “I think the Democrats better get smart, and politically I hope they don’t. But actually in terms of love for the country, I hope they do because it would be good to work together.”

But Illinois Democratic leaders say, not so fast. The White House does not have the same authority over cities beyond Washington.

When the president calls on troops without the governor’s permission, the guard is limited to protecting federal buildings and personnel.

“Has the presence of the guard had any impact on public safety in LA? No –huge waste of taxpayer dollars and maybe a violation of the law. We certainly believe that it is,” said U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Chicago.

“DC and LA are actually not safer because he deployed the National Guard,” said U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago. “It’s actually people are living in less safety. People are scared. He’s attempting to do the same thing here in Chicago.”

Twenty Second Ward Alderman Michael Rodriguez says crime is down 30% in Chicago, and we have to keep investing in what’s working, he says.

“Imagine 26th Street, tanks rolling down our street,” Alderman Rodriguez said. “Do you think people are going to want to go to church? Go to school? Invest in our businesses with that kind of presence here? The answer is no.”

Alderman Rodriguez and Alderwoman Gutierrez plan to introduce a resolution at the next City Council meeting, they said that President trump “stands down.”

The conservative group “Chicago Flips Red” said despite CPD’s numbers showing crime is down, many still don’t feel safe, and welcome the National Guard.

“It’s too much crime; so, it needs to be some type of law and order. And if this administration cannot get it done, the Johnson administration can’t get it done, then yeah, we need the National Guard,” said Zoe Leigh with Chicago Flips Red.

RELATED: US official confirms Pentagon planning National Guard deployment in Chicago, Mayor Johnson responds

“Brave men and women who signed up to serve our country did not sign up to occupy American cities,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

In a statement, Pritzker said “Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.”

Mayor Johnson is also vowing legal action if a deployment occurs, but it’s unclear if the courts would block such a move.

Weeks after the National Guard was sent to Los Angeles, a judge has yet to rule on California’s lawsuit.

Johnson said in a statement Monday:

“Mayor Johnson’s primary focus over his first two years in office has been driving down violent crime in Chicago. Since taking office, Chicago has recorded historic reductions in crime and violence as the Johnson administration has implemented a holistic approach to community safety. In the first six months of this year, Chicago has seen a 33% reduction in homicides and a 38% reduction in shootings.

“To improve police clearance rates, Mayor Johnson added detectives and restructured the detectives bureau at the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to more efficiently allocate resources. This work has resulted in a citywide homicide clearance rate of 77.4%, the highest in more than a decade.

“To address the root causes of violence, Mayor Johnson has doubled the number of mental health professionals responding to mental health crisis calls, expanded youth summer employment by 47%, and enhanced partnerships between police officers and community violence intervention (CVI) groups.

“Year-to-date statistics
– Overall Violent Crime: -21.6%
– Homicides: -32.3%
– Overall Shooting Incidents: -37.4%
– Multi-Victim Shooting Incidents: -44.6%
– Robberies: -31.9%
– Vehicular Hijackings: -49%
– Aggravated Assault: -18.1%”

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