Avelar Responds to Texas National Guard Presence in Will County

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, released the following statement in response to this morning’s Texas National Guard presence in Will County:

“The recent news that Texas National Guard troops have landed in Will County places every resident in the Chicagoland area in harm’s way, as vulnerable pawns, in Stephen Miller’s and Donald Trump’s villainous, unconstitutional fantasy of turning our state into a war zone. What we are witnessing is not upholding public safety, it is inciting cruelty, fear and an absolute, un- checked abuse of power. We cannot normalize what is happening across our country right now.

“Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to militarize and traumatize our communities is immoral. This is no longer about protecting citizens; it is about instilling fear and asserting power with zero accountability. The ICE and border patrol forces are out of control. Their unchecked aggression presents a grave danger to all of us— neighbors, local law enforcement, teachers, families and seniors.

“The state of Illinois has made it clear: we do not want these troops in our neighborhoods. We have taken action to sue the federal government to stop this deployment, and we will continue to fight it in court, in legislation, and in our communities.

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal. We will not be silent. We will speak up. We will heal. And we will win.”