Ramirez, Members of Congress Make Clear to Trump: No Troops on Our Streets

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and other Members of Congress held a press conference to condemn the Trump administration's deployment of thousands of armed federal agents and military personnel to American democratic cities.

After deploying the National Guard in Washington, DC, the President has expressed his plans to expand military troops to cities across the country, including Chicago, Baltimore, and New York City, in an effort to target immigrant communities, people of color, and those who disagree with his policies.

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"Trump's plan to deploy the National Guard to Chicago is just the beginning. Today, Trump is eroding our constitutional boundaries and normalizing the abuse of our military power so that he can succeed where he failed his first term: he seeks to use military power to undermine our democratic institutions, perpetrate a coup, and hold our country hostage," said Congresswoman Ramirez."We stand here united because our fight is not just about one city. When armed troops are sent into American communities to suppress protests, target civil society leaders, or facilitate the disappearances of our neighbors, it is NOT just a local issue- it strikes at the core of our democracy."

Ramirez and Norton Holmes were joined by Representatives Judy Chu (CA-32), Glenn Ivey (MA-04), Nydia Velázquez (NY-12), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Jonathan Jackson (IL-01).

BACKGROUND:

During the summer, the Administration unlawfully deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, California, to support mass deportation operations and suppress Constitutionally protected protests against the Administration. In August, the Administration also deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C. To do so, the president has called in National Guard troops from six states and has since authorized them to carry guns.

On August 28, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez published an Op-Edin which she warns that the military deployment intends to normalize Trump's future military coup to take over the government and avoid a peaceful transition of power.

On September 1, Ramirez (IL-03) and U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) led 10 Members of Congress from the Illinois delegationin a letter to demand that President Donald Trump and the Pentagon suspend plans for the deployment of military personnel to Chicago.