President Donald Trump plans to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, according to Governor JB Pritzker.
The announcement came Saturday following an ultimatum from the Trump administration's Department of Defense.
Pritzker stated that officials demanded he call up the troops or face federal action.
This development occurs despite the governor's firm opposition to deploying military forces within state borders.
Pritzker described the demand as "absolutely outrageous and un-American."
He emphasized that there is no need for military troops on the ground in Illinois and refused to activate the Guard for what he views as the president's agenda.
The governor criticized the move as a "manufactured performance" focused on control rather than public safety.
Chicago officials have prepared for potential federal troop deployment, drawing on prior plans from the Democratic National Convention.
Trump has deployed National Guard troops to cities including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and recently Portland to address crime and protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.
In Portland, Oregon sued to block the federalization of 200 Guard members, with a ruling anticipated soon.
A federal judge earlier ruled Trump's Los Angeles deployment illegal, and Washington, D.C., attorneys filed a similar challenge.
Trump has suggested using cities as training grounds for the military and threatened further actions in Democratic-led areas like Baltimore and New Orleans.
The White House and Defense Department have not commented on the Illinois plans.