Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are requesting detailed information from the FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department about President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy the military in Chicago.
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel, the two Illinois Democrats call the effort a “political game” that is justifying sending troops to American cities, “while wasting limited resources and harming local communities.”
The senators write that the Trump administration isn’t deploying military personnel to states and cities with high violent crime rates that are governed by Republican elected officials, “further underscoring the partisan nature of this endeavor.”
“The President’s improper and politicized abuse of the military and federal law enforcement to distract from his own failures to abide by the Constitution and effectively address the challenges facing Americans requires immediate attention,” the senators wrote. “This redirection of military and federal law enforcement assets away from key national security responsibilities endanger the homeland in a heightened threat environment.”
Durbin, who serves as ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday also requested that Chairman Chuck Grassley immediately schedule a committee hearing on Trump’s Chicago plan.
In the letter sent Thursday, Durbin and Duckworth asked for any memoranda discussing the legal basis for deploying the National Guard or any active-duty personnel in Chicago or Illinois; the date that the guard deployment in Chicago was first discussed; all communications about the plans and a list of what personnel will be deployed and their permanent positions.
The senators are also asking for all training materials on “constitutional and statutory rights, use of force limitations, standing rule of force and engagement, de-escalation and communication engagement techniques, laws and procedures related to privacy and surveillance and cooperation with local law enforcement.”
As the city prepares for a ramped-up immigration enforcement action and potential military deployment, Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday said there were no “immediate” plans to send the National Guard to Chicago.
“I mean, look, there are no immediate plans, but the President has said he has the legal authority to protect American citizens, whether that’s in Chicago or Washington, D.C.,” Vance said. “Obviously, as the President said, we want the governor to be a partner here.”
