The Texas National Guard has arrived in Illinois despite strong opposition from state and city leaders who call the deployment illegal and dangerous. Aerial video shows troops at the U.S. Army reserve center in Elwood, about fifty miles southwest of Chicago.
The troops are part of a federal immigration enforcement mission that President Donald Trump ordered. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also showed his support, calling the troops his state’s “elite national guard.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he has had no contact from the administration or the guard about their arrival, calling the move chaotic and dangerous
Abbott replied to Pritzker’s comments, stating that he had fully authorized the president to call up 400 Texas National Guard members.
Trump defended the deployment, saying he’s using his lawful authority to protect federal officers and assets.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi also supported the deployments during a Senate Committee oversight hearing on Tuesday. She said cities need the National Guard to “protect the national buildings.”
The comment came after Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., asked if the deployments were “best practice.”
“I’m having a real struggle right now with the National Guard being deployed and masking the abject failure of leaders in the state and local level,” Tillis said. “Are we masking an underlying problem that will come back the minute that we leave?”
So far, there’s no timeline for how long the troops will remain in Illinois. However, defense contractors said they’re preparing housing and dining facilities for at least 250 soldiers.
Illinois lawsuit
The troops boarded a plane to Chicago as Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson held a press conference asking troops to stay out of Illinois.
“Illinois will not let the Trump administration continue on their authoritarian march without resisting,” Pritzker said. “We will use every lever at our disposal to stop this power grab because military troops should not be used against American communities.”
On Monday, the two filed a lawsuit to block the deployment, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of state sovereignty. Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are all listed as defendants.
“The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor,” the lawsuit read in part.
In response to the lawsuit, a White House spokesperson said, “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.”
Their case is scheduled for tomorrow.
Similar lawsuit in Oregon
A similar lawsuit was filed in Oregon when Trump ordered troops to Portland. Over the weekend, a federal judge blocked that deployment, accusing the White House of circumventing federal law and violating the Constitution by using the military when no significant threat or insurrection existed.
The judge’s temporary order remains in effect until Oct. 18 as the Trump administration appeals the case.
