* The Tribune…
Six months after federal troops were preparing to deploy to Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz, a federal judge on Monday granted a motion to dismiss the state’s lawsuit over the mobilization amid assurances that the presidential orders have been rescinded.
In making her ruling, U.S. District Judge April Perry said that even though President Donald Trump had threatened on social media to “come back” to Chicago with troops eventually, she cannot issue “advisory opinions” about orders that are no longer in effect.
The judge also noted that the “facts on the ground have changed substanitially” since last fall, when hundreds of federalized troops were poised to help protect federal agents as they carried out deportation operations in the Chicago area.
“Things in Chicago are calm,” Perry said. “They have been calm for many many months, and while that certainly could change in the future, there is no threat of that happening anytime soon.”
* Sun-Times federal court reporter Jon Seidel…
* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…
“In October, the District Court for the Northern District took action to stop the unlawful deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois because the administration could provide no lawful explanation for its deployment. That is because none existed. This matter went all the way to U.S. Supreme Court, which denied the administration’s attempt to stay that lower court’s order. Now, several months later, the federal government has conceded that the orders for deployment are not operational.
“The American people, regardless of the city or state in which they reside, should not live under threat of military occupation simply because they live in a jurisdiction that has fallen out of a president’s political favor. I am pleased that today, the court has declared the Trump administration’s unlawful orders defunct and said it is absolutely clear that the administration cannot use the Illinois orders to federalize or deploy National Guard troops in Illinois. I am proud of the attorneys from my office who diligently fought to uphold the rule of law, because in Illinois, we recognize that the Constitution is not merely a suggestion.”
…Adding… Gov. JB Pritzker…
“Today’s order concluding Illinois v. Trump confirms what has been clear to the people of Illinois from the beginning — Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to occupy our streets was a reckless and illegal abuse of power. I’m grateful to the court for siding with our communities and slowing the erosion of our democratic norms.
“I want to applaud Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for securing this win in the courts as he has consistently stood up to defend the rights of our people and stop federal overreach. I also want to thank him and his staff for working around the clock to check Trump’s march toward authoritarianism at every turn.
“Communities should not have to live in fear of masked federal troops occupying their neighborhoods, and our brave National Guard members should not be used as political props. These are foundational principles of any healthy democracy, and the result in this case validates that belief.
“While this is an important result, we know that the Trump Administration will continue to test the limits of its power no matter the cost to our communities. Illinois will keep standing up and fighting for the rights of our people.”
* More…
* WTTW | Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging National Guard Deployment in Illinois Months After Troops Removed: Because of that threat, attorneys for Illinois and Chicago denied that their lawsuit is moot. “Even now, Defendants could rescind their orders and offer declarations to this Court renouncing their threats to ‘come back’ uninvited,” they wrote in a March court filing. “Because they haven’t and won’t, the case continues.” The Trump administration previously claimed the deployment is necessary as federal agents in Illinois have been met “with prolonged, coordinated, violent resistance that threatens their lives and safety,” telling the Supreme Court this has become part of a “disturbing and recurring pattern.”
