Rep. Kelly on Trump deploying National Guard to Chicago

CHICAGO - U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) released the following statement in response to news of President Donald Trump deploying at least 300 National Guard troops to Chicago today:

"President Trump is bringing war to Chicago. He's called our city violent and out of control, yet he is the one who has endangered our communities, terrorized immigrants, and wreaked chaos. Just last week, ICE agents burst through an apartment building in my district with flashbang grenades and dragged children, some of them naked, into the street. This is not the America I know.

"The man in the White House is playing dictator and abusing his powers. While our economy is hemorrhaging money every day during Trump's shutdown, he wants to further waste taxpayer dollars to deploy the National Guard. I refuse to bend the knee, although many of my Republican colleagues have, and I will never give in to a man hellbent on destroying our city."

In April, President Trump terminated $811 million in grants, which included over $66 million to community violence intervention organizations, evidence-based solutions that have reduced crime in Chicago. This funding was designated by Congress through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included large portions of Rep. Kelly's legislative work.