ICYMI: Veterans, Illinois Veterans, National Guard Member, and Local Leaders Condemn Trump’s Plan to Deploy Troops to Chicago
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2025
CHICAGO, IL – Today, Common Defense and Illinois Veterans for Change hosted a press conference to reject Donald Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard to Chicago. Illinois veterans, a National Guard member, and elected officials warned that Trump’s proposal represents a dangerous step toward militarizing American cities and undermining the very freedoms service members swore to protect.
Illinois veterans, a National Guard member, and Local Leaders issued the following statements:
Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, Marine Corps veteran and Illinois State Representative, said:
“As a former United States Marine and a proud public servant in addition to having my son currently serving in the US Navy and other family members and friends who have or are serving, the safety of Illinois is a top priority; that safety comes from trust between local law enforcement and people in our neighborhoods. I find the idea of the deployment of the National Guard into Chicago without the consent of state leadership and against federal law underscores the fabric of our democracy. Our founders made clear that the military must never be used as a political weapon against our own citizens.”
“At the very same time our nation is grappling with the tragedy of yet another school shooting in Minnesota, a cost-of-living crisis and a deterioration of due process. The federal government is choosing to send troops into Chicago rather than focusing on these real threats to our families’ safety and well-being.”
Ald. Gil Villegas, Alderman, Chicago’s 36th Ward, said:
“We have already seen in Los Angeles and Washington D.C., the ineffectiveness of sending in the National Guard without the collaboration or partnership of local leadership. The Pentagon itself estimated that the cost of this 60-day campaign is $134 million. That is enough to pay a year’s salary of roughly 2,100 new Chicago police officers. Donald Trump, take it from this Marine Corps Veteran, who took an oath to defend this country from all enemies foreign and domestic, this is not the answer.”
Danielle Webster, an Army veteran and Common Defense member, said:
“Using the military to police our own cities sends a dangerous message: that military force is the answer to social challenges. But veterans know better. We’ve seen what happens when military power is used without a clear purpose or respect for human dignity. We’ve seen the cost of confusing civilians with enemies of the state, and we’re aware of the consequences. Now we have a responsibility to speak up. Let us not repeat those mistakes here at home. We should be investing in our communities, not using the military to intimidate or occupy them. Let us honor our veterans by protecting the freedoms they fought for and support our neighbors in chasing the American Dream. We should not ask our service members to turn ”
Demi Palecek, an Illinois Army National Guard member, said:
“The National Guard has a sacred mission. We are part of the communities we serve. We are the neighbors who show up when floods hit, when storms tear through towns, when our country is in crisis. That is why people trust us—because we are there to help.”
“Today, National Guard members are scared – they are being activated and weaponized against the people and are being asked to partake in mass deportations, intimidation, and policing of peaceful protesters. This administration has disrespected the service of our fellow transgender soldiers by taking away their status, rolling back “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” protections, and stripping away safeguards against sexual harassment. Instead of supporting the force, these actions are weakening it. If service members are forced into roles that pit us against our own communities, fewer Americans will step forward to serve. Readiness will suffer. And in the next disaster or emergency, the National Guard may not be trusted in the community to do its job.”
Dan Tully, US Army Judge Advocate and Illinois Veterans for Change Representative, said:
“The United States Military is the best trained, most powerful force on this planet. I know this – I've served proudly beside our country’s brave men and women. It is patently illegal and un-American to have them patrolling U.S. streets for a manufactured publicity stunt. Our first responders and local law enforcement are more than capable of doing the job that taxpayers hired them to do. This is Donald Trump trying to distract from the fact that grocery, housing, and everyday prices are through the roof and risk sending the economy into a recession.”
“Donald Trump doesn’t care about our military – otherwise he wouldn’t have dodged the draft, called fallen soldiers suckers and losers, or continually politicized the military. His deployment of National Guard to Chicago would be yet another abuse of his role as Commander In Chief. Although our time in uniform may have ended, all Veterans share an obligation to call out these abdications wherever they arise.”
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Common Defense Education Fund (501c3) (CDEF) is a grassroots, veteran-led organization dedicated to empowering U.S. military veterans through nonpartisan education, training, and organizing. CDEF focuses on voter education, combating voter suppression, and nonpartisan get-out-the-vote initiatives in targeted states and districts, ensuring veterans continue their legacy of service by defending democracy and justice.