Optics Over Order? The Political Motives Behind Illinois' Resistance

Democratic leadership in Chicago has made it clear. They are more interested in defending criminals than enforcing the law. 

On Monday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a lawsuit to stop President Trump from deploying the National Guard to Chicago. The AG claimed that Trump violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a law that limits the use of military forces in domestic law enforcement.  However, the White House has repeatedly stated that the troops will remain under state control, as stated by the federal emergency authority. 

More importantly, Chicago residents overwhelmingly support the intervention, with 62% of residents approving of National Guard deployment. Are democrat leaders interested in reflecting the will of the people through governance? It appears not.

Instead, democrats in these crime-ridden cities are more focused on suing for optics than actually lowering rates of crime. The lawsuit against the administration’s deployment is likely to fail, in the same way a similar Illinois suit in 2020 was dismissed for “lack of standing.”

Legal precedent tends to favor the administration in power. Under President Biden, we witnessed states that sued the government to block immigration enforcement lose in court, and it is likely that under the new administration, Democrat-led states will face similar challenges. 

Instead of focusing on making headlines for left-wing extremism, Democratic leaders should try listening to the public that they serve and focus less on defending the individuals who actively work to make their cities a more dangerous place.