(MENAFN) In a significant escalation of federal involvement in local unrest, President Donald Trump will federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, overriding opposition from Governor JB Pritzker, who confirmed the move on Saturday.

Despite consistent pushback from state leadership, Governor Pritzker revealed that the White House issued him a stark ultimatum: "call up your troops, or we will."

“In the coming hours, the Trump Administration intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard,” he said in a statement posted to social media.

According to White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, the decision follows ongoing civil unrest in Chicago. “Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step in to quell, President Trump has authorized 300 National Guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets,” she said in a statement issued Saturday.

Tensions have surged in the city amid confrontations between demonstrators and immigration authorities. Protesters clashed with federal agents on Saturday, prompting a response from armed border patrol units who deployed what appeared to be chemical irritants to disperse crowds.

Earlier that morning, Chicago law enforcement shot an unidentified “armed U.S. citizen” who was reportedly under Homeland Security surveillance, according to Noem.

The deployment comes after weeks of warnings from Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to send the National Guard into cities—particularly those under Democratic control—as part of a broader crackdown on crime and to reinforce immigration enforcement. A similar move was made in Washington, D.C., in August.

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