US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 400 Texas National Guard troops to Illinois, Oregon and other US states as part of a policy to reduce crime, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker announced on social media.
“Tonight, President Trump ordered the deployment of 400 Texas National Guard troops to Illinois, Oregon and other US regions“, Pritzker wrote.
According to the governor, no one consulted with him on this decision. He called the move "intrusive display" and urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott not to support the deployment of the National Guard and to refuse to cooperate with the White House.
Trump had previously mentioned Chicago as one of the cities where he intended to deploy the National Guard to reduce crime. The day before, he ordered the deployment of 300 National Guard troops there. U.S. Customs and Border Protection forces had also arrived earlier.
On September 27, Trump announced that he had instructed Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide troops to protect "war-torn" Portland and ICE facilities from the "Antifa" movement, which he had previously designated a terrorist organization. Trump and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek then exchanged sharp messages over the White House's decision to deploy National Guard troops to the city.
Portland is believed to be home to a large number of "Antifa" supporters, as well as left-wing and far-left activists.
The White House announced plans to deploy troops to New York City and several other major cities.
In mid-August, Trump announced several measures to combat crime in Washington, D.C., deploying National Guard troops and placing local police under direct federal control.