The chief judge of the federal district court based in Chicago said Thursday that the National Guard has not been authorized or requested to secure the federal courthouse, as the Trump administration seeks to use the National Guard to protect federal property in the city.
Chief Judge Virginia Kendall of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said the U.S. Marshals Service is the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction to protect the federal courthouse in Chicago, saying the Federal Protective Service does not have the primary responsibility of security for the courthouse, unlike most federal buildings.
President Donald Trump deployed 300 National Guard members to “protect federal officers and assets” earlier this month, prompting pushback from Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Pritzker has led a lawsuit claiming the deployment is unlawful and “infringes on Illinois’s sovereignty and right to self-governance.”
Kendall’s public declaration undercuts Trump’s push to defend federal assets in the city, with the chief judge essentially attempting to shut out Trump’s troops from the area around the courthouse.
“I trust and rely upon the men and women of the United States Marshals Service and the Court Security Officers to provide security at the Dirksen Courthouse; this includes the perimeter of the building. At no point did I, nor did the Building Security Committee, authorize or request the National Guard’s assistance to secure the Dirksen Courthouse,” said Kendall, an appointee of former President George W. Bush.
“With my approval, additional security measures have been implemented to allow court operations to proceed, but those measures do not include the National Guard at the Dirksen Courthouse. The Courthouse remains open and accessible for all matters including hearings, jury trials, and naturalization ceremonies,” she added.
Kendall, in her lengthy statement, also said the Chicago court would keep public access a “top priority.”
“Providing access to justice is at the heart of the Court’s mission and critical for our democracy. Maintaining access to the courthouse for anyone who seeks redress remains a top priority of the court. It is a core principle to promote our rule of law,” Kendall said.
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The statement comes on the same day a federal judge is holding a hearing at the courthouse over Illinois’ lawsuit against the Trump administration over its deployment of the National Guard to Chicago.
The Chicago hearing began at the same time a federal appeals court heard arguments over whether to overrule a lower district court’s order blocking the federalization of the Oregon National Guard to be deployed to Portland.