PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says the commonwealth is prepared for any attempt by President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard without state consent.
“I can tell you that we are prepared,” Shapiro said. “We are prepared should they try to deploy the National Guard against my will in any community across Pennsylvania.”
Speaking to the media on Monday, Shapiro stood firm against Trump’s latest actions.
“I think what the President is doing is wrong,” he said. “I think what the president is doing injects chaos into communities.”
Citing crime and safety concerns, Trump has already sent the National Guard into the streets of Washington, D.C. He bragged to a group this week that his actions have made the city safer.
“Washington, D.C., is a free and safe zone,” Trump said.
Trump has threatened to take the same action of sending the National Guard to Chicago, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already launched expanded operations.
“We want to get them out of the city, make the public safe,” said ICE official Marcos Charles.
It comes after the Supreme Court’s decision to lift restrictions on ICE agents in California. The court’s conservative majority says agents can use factors such as a person’s race, language and job when deciding whether to detain someone.
“This most recent Supreme Court ruling should terrify every single American,” said Jasmine Rivera, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition.
Rivera says the Trump administration’s recent actions have immigrants in the local community afraid.
“There has been a significant increase in folks reaching out,” she said of people both calling her organization for help and to volunteers to help others.
Her office is working with dozens of organizations to prepare for the possibility of increased ICE rolling enforcement in the state.
“(We) have been doing know your rights training. Have been doing community safety plan training,” she said.
Rivera added that immigration advocates appreciate what Governor Shapiro has done. They just want to see more action that would prevent any type of state or local collaboration with ICE.
This is all happening as Pennsylvania prepares to welcome droves of people for celebrations in 2026. It’s a tourism market that Governor Shapiro says has been affected by Trump’s immigration policies.
“I think their policies are making it so people in other countries are afraid to come here or don’t want to come here,” said Shapiro.
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