Illinois Federation of Teachers Statement on National Guard Deployment to Chicago

WESTMONT, IL – Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement in response to news reports that the Trump administration is deploying the National Guard to Chicago.

“The Illinois Federation of Teachers strongly condemns the decision by the Trump administration to send the National Guard into Chicago. There is no basis for sending soldiers here or to any other city. There is no emergency.

“This deployment will inevitably lead to more racial profiling and the terrorizing of Latino and immigrant communities, especially undocumented families who already live with the constant fear of deportation. If the goal were truly safety, Trump and his administration would not have frozen $158 million in funding for violence prevention programs in cities like Chicago, dismantled the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP), or terminated more than $800 million in anti-violence grants nationwide.

“Every dollar spent on militarization takes away from what truly keeps us safe: public schools, health care, housing, and neighborhood investment. Bringing the National Guard into Chicago is not about safety. It is sanctioning state violence against our students, our educators, and our communities.

“Soldiers in American streets create fear and trauma for students. Instead of feeling safe in their classrooms, they will carry the weight of wondering if their parents will be deported, their families separated, and whether they will be safe in school. That kind of fear does not fade. It embeds itself in children’s minds, leaving scars that last a lifetime and shaping how they see their schools, their futures, and their nation.

“It’s heartening to see Gov. Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, other elected leaders, labor, and community organizations standing united with a clear message: Trump’s unwarranted threats of military incursion into Chicago will not stand. Our students deserve safety, dignity, and opportunity—not fear and intimidation. As educators, we know that students thrive in environments built on trust and respect. Deploying military force in our communities would be an assault on that foundation. We stand with our members who live and work in Chicago, our students, their families, and all those rejecting these dangerous tactics, and we affirm our commitment to protecting every child’s right to learn freely and in peace.

“Educators are doing remarkable work in underfunded classrooms. They are stretching every dollar, every book, every ounce of energy to give students what they deserve. Forcing them to teach under the shadow of the National Guard is unconscionable.

"Teachers and students do not need soldiers in our streets; they need resources and real investment in education. Every troop deployed is another reminder that the Trump administration would rather fund intimidation than our children’s futures.”

The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) represents 103,000 teachers and paraprofessionals in PreK-12 school districts throughout Illinois, faculty and staff at Illinois’ community colleges and universities, public employees under every statewide elected constitutional officer, and retirees. 

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