NBC confirms, the state of Illinois has filed suit against the federal government for approving the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago, a move that state leaders vehemently opposed. The order came after weeks of tension between local and federal authorities about how to handle growing protests and public safety concerns across the city. 

Filed Monday by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the complaint names federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. The filing states, “The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor.” 

According to a White House spokesperson, the troops are being sent “to protect federal officers and assets.” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized the decision in a public statement, calling it “outrageous and un-American.” He said the Pentagon contacted his office on Saturday morning with an ultimatum to activate the troops or have the federal government do it instead.

The deployment follows a series of confrontations between demonstrators and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Chicago’s Little Village and Brighton Park neighborhoods. On Friday, protesters clashed with heavily armed agents outside an ICE facility in the suburb of Broadview. Witnesses said officers used pepper spray and rubber bullets to push the crowds back. 

Officials said the unrest escalated after Border Patrol agents shot an allegedly armed woman who rammed vehicles used by ICE personnel. She was later taken to a hospital, and her condition has not been released. 

In a post on X, Homeland Security Secretary Kristin Noem said she would send additional “special operations” officers to control the situation in Chicago. Meanwhile, protests have continued in other large cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

In Oregon, a federal judge issued an order temporarily blocking a similar National Guard deployment to Portland, saying it could interfere with state authority.

Governor Pritzker said Illinois law enforcement agencies were already coordinating with federal officials to ensure safety and that the new deployment is unnecessary. “This has never been about