In an interview on Chicago’s Morning Answer, host Dan Proft and Will Chamberlain, senior counsel at the Article III Project, unpacked the growing legal and political showdown between the Trump administration and Illinois officials over the deployment of National Guard troops to assist federal immigration enforcement in Chicago.
The controversy stems from reports that Texas National Guard units are being transferred to Illinois, sparking outrage from Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson. Both have framed the move as federal overreach—echoing their ongoing hostility toward federal immigration enforcement in so-called “sanctuary cities.”
Proft noted the irony in the escalating feud. “We’ve got CPD potentially arresting ICE, ICE arresting Brandon Johnson, and Trump arresting Pritzker,” he quipped. “But only one side here actually has the law on their side—and it’s not Brandon Johnson.”
Chamberlain agreed, saying the president’s authority is well established under federal law. “This won’t be a close question,” he said. “Under 10 U.S.C. 12406, the president can call up the National Guard when there’s rebellion or a risk of rebellion, or when current personnel are hindered in enforcing federal law. That’s clearly applicable in both Chicago and Portland.”
He pointed out that local obstruction of ICE operations has made it difficult for federal officers to carry out their duties safely—creating exactly the kind of scenario Congress envisioned when granting the president this authority. “You’re not talking about martial law,” Chamberlain explained. “You’re talking about protecting federal officers who are being attacked or obstructed while doing their jobs.”
The legal battle is already playing out in federal courts in Oregon and Illinois, with the Ninth Circuit expected to challenge Trump’s authority. Chamberlain said that if the case reaches the Supreme Court, “there’s no question” it would side with the president. “The Court isn’t going to start a constitutional crisis by saying the president can’t protect federal facilities and personnel.”
Proft contrasted Illinois’ resistance with other states that have embraced federal cooperation. He cited Senator Marsha Blackburn’s remarks about coordinated law enforcement in Memphis, where a multi-agency task force has made over 500 arrests and recovered missing children. “Meanwhile, Pritzker and Johnson are competing to see who can be the most hostile to federal law enforcement,” Proft said. “Their ambitions come before their constituents’ safety.”
Chamberlain agreed that Chicago’s “ICE-free zone” rhetoric is not only reckless but self-defeating. “It’s appalling,” he said. “Local police refuse to help ICE, and now they’re litigating to stop the federal government from bringing in additional resources to give their own officers relief. It’s politics over public safety, plain and simple.”
The discussion then turned to another brewing controversy—reports that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team obtained phone records of sitting members of Congress, including several Republican senators. Chamberlain said the move raises serious constitutional questions. “When one branch secretly targets another, that’s a separation of powers violation,” he said. “If the executive branch started randomly investigating the Supreme Court, we’d call it lawless—and it’s the same principle here.”
He added that whistleblower reports suggest the FBI bypassed standard approval processes by claiming the lawmakers weren’t “targets” of an investigation. “That’s outrageous,” Chamberlain said. “It’s a failure to respect a co-equal branch of government.”
Proft noted that if FBI Director Christopher Wray knew about the operation, accountability should be swift. Chamberlain agreed, suggesting congressional hearings could compel answers. “If Wray refuses to discuss it, have Cash Patel or Pam Bondi—both former DOJ officials—waive any internal privilege on the spot. Then he either answers or takes the Fifth.”
The conversation ended with a grim assessment of Washington’s justice apparatus. “The FBI has been a political mess for eight years,” Chamberlain said. “They’ve been obsessed with going after Trump since the day he came down the escalator. Now it’s time for a reckoning.”
Proft closed with his trademark dry wit: “Maybe Chicago’s politicians should take notes—if you’re going to defy the law, at least make sure you’re the one enforcing it.”