Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker this week activated 500 National Guard members and is sending them to Washington to help with the continued military presence in the nation’s capital.

The activation was at the request of the U.S. Department of Defense.

“We are deploying these forces in support of civilian law enforcement based on threat-levels against the U.S. Capitol. These threats were assessed by the FBI and other federal agencies,” Maj. Gen. Rich Neely, the adjutant general of Illinois and commander of the Illinois National Guard, said in a statement. “Our soldiers and airmen are committed to the defense of both our nation and our state. We have asked a lot of them in the last year and each time these men and women have answered the call and upheld their oath to defend and support the U.S. Constitution.”

“Major General Neely and I are ready to ensure that the state of Illinois continues its proud legacy of protecting our democracy. 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, a Democrat, added.

The troops are slated to be in Washington by the beginning of next week. They’re expected to stay there until mid-March.

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