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National Guard deployment extended
The Trump administration has extended the National Guard's deployment in the Chicago area, despite a recent court ruling that the president doesn't have that authority. The news came out of a bombshell hearing on Capitol Hill - where Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth had pointed questions for defense department officials. Political reporter Paris Schutz is here to break it all down.
CHICAGO - The Trump administration has extended the National Guard’s deployment in the Chicago area, despite a recent court ruling that the president does not have that authority.
The news emerged during a tense Capitol Hill hearing in which Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., pressed Defense Department officials on the legality and purpose of the deployment.
What we know:
Defense officials disclosed that Guard units will remain in Chicago through at least April.
The administration ordered the extension even though a federal judge has blocked the Guard’s activation in the city while the case awaits appellate — and potentially Supreme Court — review.
The revelation came one day after another judge ordered an end to Guard deployments in Los Angeles.
Duckworth, speaking after the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, said she left convinced the administration intends to use Guard members for urban law-enforcement duties — roles she argued they are not trained to perform.
Defense Department and Guard officials said the deployment consists of volunteers and that members can be rotated out if family or work obligations arise.
Senate Republicans defended the move, arguing that Guard units will provide critical public-safety support in urban areas where they say local Democratic leaders have failed to maintain order.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX 32's Paris Schutz.