In a separate letter, Governor Pritzker condemned what he called “an illegal abuse of federal power” by the Trump administration and Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s willingness to deploy the Texas National Guard into Illinois. He argued that such actions trample gubernatorial authority, undermine state sovereignty, and disrupt the constitutional balance between states.
Pritzker warned that if the NGA remained silent, Illinois would have no choice but to leave the organization, stressing that the credibility of the group depends on consistent application of principles regardless of which administration is in power. He also emphasized that National Guard members should never be used as political props, urging governors to denounce any attempt to override state authority.
The NGA, representing both Republican and Democratic governors, has occasionally addressed federal issues. For example, on September 29, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, serving as chair and vice chair, released a bipartisan statement urging Congress to prevent a government shutdown.
Earlier, Trump federalized California National Guard troops in June, sending them to Los Angeles during protests over immigration raids, and later expanded deployments to Washington, D.C., Memphis, and Chicago. A federal judge in Oregon recently blocked the deployment of Oregon National Guard troops to Portland, citing no evidence of significant unrest. The ruling also prevented additional troops from California and Texas from being sent.
Despite the legal challenges, Trump defended the deployments, stating that Republican-led states were “eager” to assist and “want our agents protected.” The confrontation underscores growing tension between federal authority and state sovereignty in the use of National Guard forces.
