The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois says it would fight back in court if President Trump sends the National Guard into Chicago.
Trump has suggested he would send troops there to combat violent crime.
ACLU of Illinois spokesperson Ed Yohnka told IPM News Monday that if that happens, the organization would be closely watching the behavior of those troops.
“Who is it that they’re targeting? How are they doing it, and how are they behaving, Yohnka asked. “Are they using excessive force? Are they using racial profiling?”
He also said the ACLU would also sue on behalf of detained individuals to get them released.
The ACLU has been communicating with groups that serve immigrant and homeless people, who are particularly afraid after seeing videos of the National Guard’s activity in Washington DC, according to Yohnka.
Earlier Monday, President Trump hedged on the idea of sending troops to Chicago, saying he’d prefer to be invited by local officials. Both Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson say they have not requested federal troops.
Yohnka encouraged those feeling overwhelmed by federal policy changes to focus on local action such as speaking up at local meetings to joining library or school boards.
“I know it’s hard to keep up with all that’s happening at the federal level,” he added. “We’ve been encouraging folks to act as much as they can at the local level.”
ACLU fighting immigrant kid exclusion for Head Start
The ACLU of Illinois is involved in a lawsuit to keep Head Start open to all low-income children.
Head Start began 60 years ago as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty” to help children break the cycle of poverty with health screening, social services and education.
When a Republican Congress and then President Bill Clinton were reshaping welfare law in the 1990’s, the early education program was excluded from the changes. New provisions in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act barred certain immigrants, including those without legal status and those who have applied but not received asylum from signing up for public benefits.
The Trump administration is now reinterpreting the law to apply to Head Start and other education programs.
“I’m thinking that if that’s what Newt Gingrich and the Republicans of the 1990’s meant, they would have said it, and I think he would have heard it again,” Yohnka said. “But apparently, Donald Trump and RFK Jr. are the people who’ve suddenly discovered this.”
The administration says the change would help protect the country’s resources. The rule is on hold until September 3, due to another lawsuit.
Yohnka expects a ruling on the ACLU case after Labor Day. Local Head Start centers celebrated 60 years this weekend since the launch of the program.