Press Release:  Don’s Destruction: Donald Trump Will Charge Illinois Taxpayers $1.6M DAILY To Militarize Their Streets

Chicago, IL — According to recent reporting by the Chicago Sun-Times, Donald Trump’s threat to weaponize the National Guard and deploy an estimated 3,000 troops on Chicago streets could cost taxpayers $1.6 million dollars a day. Coupled with refusing to communicate with Illinois leaders, the Trump White House once again demonstrates that their priority is targeting Illinois, not protecting Illinoisans. In response to this burden on taxpayers, the Democratic Party of Illinois said the following:

“Illinois Democrats reject Trump’s authoritarian grab, and the data proves crime in Chicago is, in fact, declining. Still, Donald Trump seems hellbent on wasting taxpayer money. Instead of coordinating with state and city governments, he’d rather weaponize the military and set a precedent for federal agents to racially profile at the tune of $1.6 million dollars for Illinoisans.”

Key excerpts from Chicago Sun Times: Sending National Guard to Chicago could cost taxpayers nearly $1.6 million a day, analysis says

By Stephanie Zimmermann

• Deploying National Guard troops to Chicago could cost taxpayers nearly $1.6 million per day, according to a nonpartisan federal budget research organization.

• The National Priorities Project, a research group that’s part of the progressive nonprofit Institute for Policy Studies, used a figure of $530 per Guard member per day, which was the estimated cost in 2020 when National Guard members were deployed to Washington, D.C., during protests following the death of George Floyd.

• More than 2,000 National Guard troops have been deployed to Washington, and it’s estimated to be costing taxpayers about $1 million a day, CNN has reported, citing defense experts.

• A WBEZ analysis found that the number of killings in Chicago this summer — in June, July and August — was the fewest in the city in 60 years and that overall violent crime remained near its lowest point in at least four decades.

• Douglas said: “Active-duty military patrolling the streets of our city sends the wrong message and risks slowing our economy and disrupting the progress we’ve made together. It will impact businesses’ bottom lines and ability to operate efficiently. It will impact tourism and employees getting to their jobs. It will impact morale.”

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