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500 Illinois National Guard troops going to D.C. for 'security mission'

"We must root out the dark forces of racism, white supremacy and disinformation that have created this moment..." Illinois Governor Pritzker said in a statement.
Credit: AP
Members of the Illinois National Guard and the Capitol Police get setup in front of a road closure along Capitol Avenue at the Illinois State Capitol in preparations for possible protests, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Springfield, Ill. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker activated 250 members of the Illinois National Guard amid threats of armed protests in capital cities across the country during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP)

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. J.B. Pritzker is sending about 500 Illinois National Guard members to Washington D.C. until mid-March for a "security mission.” 

In a statement Thursday, Pritzker said the Defense Department asked for Illinois guard troops to assist federal and local agencies to secure the capital.

"Ultimately, we must root out the dark forces of racism, white supremacy and disinformation that have created this moment, but until we do that, our extraordinary troops will deploy with honor," Pritzker said in the statement. 

The state’s National Guard soldiers will be in Washington, D.C., in early February along with a small group of Illinois Air and National Guard airmen.

The deployment of national guard troops to Washington follows the Jan. 6 violent siege of the Capitol by rioters that left five dead and others injured.

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