Govs. Walz, Pritzker talk troop deployments, arrest fears at event

Joint pushback on Trump troop deployments

Governors in both Minnesota and Illinois are banding together in opposition of the Trump administration using federal troops as part of a supposed crackdown on crime in some cities.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Gov. Tim Walz raised the possibility of the Trump administration deploying federal troops to Minnesota on Tuesday, while also saying he believes the president could have him arrested.

Gov. Walz says he’s preparing for federal troop deployment

What they're saying:

"Can we all just acknowledge that none of this is normal?" asked Walz. "I think it makes – it would be logical for them to come here. We fall into exactly what it looks like they’re trying to target – blue cities in places that he wants to make an impact. You can certainly chill voting in states like Minnesota if you target Minneapolis and St. Paul."

He said his administration has been preparing for the possibility of troop deployments in Minnesota since last year.

Gov. Walz preparing for National Guard to be sent to Minneapolis

Gov. Tim Walz says he anticipates the National Guard being sent to Minneapolis by President Donald Trump, and has been preparing for it.

Walz and his Illinois counterpart also said they believe they could be arrested at the direction of the president.

"Do you both believe that you could sincerely be arrested?" asked the moderator.

"Yes," replied Walz.

"I’m asking any of you to come visit me in the gulag in El Salvador," said Pritzker, drawing laughter from the audience.

Federal troops arrive in Illinois; state sues administration

National Guard arrives in Chicago; Walz says MN could be next

The National Guard has arrived in Chicago. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on Tuesday that Minnesota could be the next target for Trump's plan to deploy the National Guard to various cities.

What we know:

National Guard members from Texas arrived in Illinois on Tuesday.

Pritzker said additional guard members from Illinois were activated over the weekend. It is unclear why the troops were sent to Illinois, but the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement in Chicago in recent weeks, leading to clashes with protestors. President Trump has also repeatedly criticized Chicago and asserted that crime in that city is out of control.

The lawsuit:

Illinois sued the Trump administration in federal court on Monday to stop troop deployments. The lawsuit was filed hours after a federal judge blocked troop deployments in Portland, Oregon.