Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has spearheaded a 22-state coalition supporting President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard units to Chicago in response to violent unrest and threats against federal law enforcement personnel.
The multistate coalition filed an amicus brief Monday in Donald J. Trump, President of the United States v. State of Illinois and City of Chicago, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that blocked the President’s order. The filing argues that federal intervention is necessary to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and federal facilities amid escalating violence.
According to the brief, rioters in Chicago and other cities have attempted to harm federal officers, stormed federal buildings, and repeatedly interfered with ICE agents’ operations. Knudsen said the unrest has national implications.
“The President’s decision to federalize the National Guard to protect federal officers and property in Chicago has effects beyond the borders of Illinois; states and cities across the U.S. are benefited by this decision,” Knudsen wrote.
The coalition maintains that President Trump acted within his authority under federal law, citing conditions in Chicago that the administration argues local officials have failed to control. The brief contends that the city’s inability to ensure the execution of federal laws justified the deployment of National Guard personnel to bolster federal agencies.
“Given the prevalence of violence aimed at federal law enforcement, in Chicago and around the country, it is unsurprising that the President deployed National Guard resources to protect them from obstructions in their attempts to follow the law,” the states wrote.
Knudsen also emphasized that swift action is needed to prevent threats and violence toward ICE officers from spreading to other states. The brief argues that federalizing the National Guard supports the public interest by ensuring ICE can continue carrying out its statutory responsibilities, including identifying, apprehending, and removing individuals in the country illegally.
Joining Knudsen in the filing were attorneys general from Oklahoma, South Carolina, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia, alongside Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who co-led the effort.
By DNU Staff