As Trump Administration Pursues Deployment Of Military In American Cities, Durbin, Padilla, Schiff, Wyden, & Merkley Meet With NORTHCOM Leadership
In their virtual meeting, the Senators urged NORTHCOM to stay in communication with their offices as the Trump Administration seeks to illegally deploy troops to American cities, including Chicago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), spoke with NORTHCOM leadership about the Trump Administration’s unlawful deployment of troops to American cities for immigration and law enforcement support. During the call, the Senators requested additional information about how these domestic deployments will impact military readiness and stressed that the nation’s military must comply with the Posse Comitatus Act.
“President Trump’s deployment of troops to American cities, including Chicago, is a clear violation of our nation’s Constitution. It does not make our cities safer, and it is a harmful diversion of resources that undermines our military readiness and politicizes our nation’s military,” said Durbin. “As DHS officials continue to shut Illinois leaders out while rolling in federal agents and the National Guard, I appreciate NORTHCOM’s willingness to communicate with Senators about the size and scope of the expected military presence in Illinois. The Trump Administration and DHS officials must answer for their unconstitutional actions.”
“Despite repeated rulings blocking the Administration’s unprecedented abuse of power, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are now bringing the same terror Los Angeles saw to communities in Portland and Chicago. These reckless deployments shatter public trust, stifle our economy, and divert critical resources away from national defense and disaster response. I call on the President to immediately stop using our service members as political pawns and cease all threats to invoke the Insurrection Act against hardworking Americans,” Padilla said.
“Donald Trump's misuse of the National Guard started in Los Angeles, but it has not stopped there. Senator Padilla and I will continue to work with colleagues in other states that have been threatened with the use of the Guard against our citizens to hold this administration accountable. Multiple courts have ruled against these deployments and the misuse of our servicemembers. It is antithetical to our long-held tradition and clear laws that say we will not use the military to police at home. Our communities rely on the California National Guard in our times of need, and we will continue to convey to this administration and our military leaders that these continued deployments and threatened future deployments erode that trust,” Schiff said.
“Portlanders don’t need federal troops and we don’t want federal troops. I made clear that Secretary Hegseth and Donald Trump’s abuse of power is alarming communities that are being occupied against their will and intimidating Americans who are exercising their Constitutional rights. At the same time these deployments are creating distrust between communities and the military, hurting the morale of our National Guard members,” Wyden said.
“President Trump told our generals that he wants to use American cities as ‘training grounds’ for the military. That is profoundly disturbing — turning troops against the American people. It’s clear Trump’s goal is to stoke fear and incite chaos to further justify his expanding authoritarian control. I appreciate NORTHCOM’s willingness to communicate and meet with Senators from affected states as we exercise oversight of the Administration and the U.S. military,” said Merkley.
Durbin has repeatedly called out U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem for refusing to meet with or address the concerns of Illinois’ elected officials as DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents use excessive force against community members, protestors, and journalists. Last week, Durbin attempted to visit Broadview ICE Facility to conduct oversight, but his request was rejected for a fourth time.
Durbin has also led all Democratic members of the Illinois delegation in sending a letter to President Trump, demanding that he immediately reverse his decision to federalize and deploy 300 Illinois National Guard troops and up to 400 Texas National Guard troops to the Chicago region.
As DHS carries out President Trump’s unprecedented campaign of mass deportation, Durbin has continuously called for Secretary Noem to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee and respond to Senators’ questions about the excessive use of force by DHS personnel against immigrants and American citizens, as well as deaths in DHS custody. In yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee markup, Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) confirmed that his office is working to hold a DHS oversight hearing.
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