Hundreds of National Guard troops get deployed from Texas to Chicago
(MENAFN) Hundreds of National Guard troops from Texas have arrived at a military training center near Chicago to assist in US President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration enforcement campaign.
The move follows Trump’s characterization of Chicago as a “war zone” after recent demonstrations targeting federal immigration authorities in the city.
The deployment, however, has sparked significant political backlash. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned the decision as part of an “authoritarian march” by the federal government, vowing that the state would “use every lever at our disposal to stop this power grab,” according to reports.
Sources indicated that some troops could begin their assignments as early as Wednesday.
Temporary housing units have been established at the Army Reserve Training Center about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, where fencing was also erected late Tuesday. Local officials said they had received little information about the scope or duration of the mission.
Trump has defended the deployment, arguing that sending troops is essential to curb violence in Democratic-led cities, strengthen law enforcement efforts, and bolster deportation operations. National Guard personnel, however, are limited in their authority — they cannot make arrests or conduct searches but can protect federal property and personnel.
Similar deployments have taken place in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, with orders issued for Memphis and Portland. While a federal judge has temporarily blocked the Portland mission, the Chicago deployment has been allowed to proceed for now.
Chicago has witnessed growing protests over immigration policies, particularly outside US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. Tensions escalated last weekend after Border Patrol agents shot and injured a woman during a confrontation involving vehicles that rammed into enforcement vehicles — an incident her attorney has disputed.
Illinois and the city of Chicago have filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent troops from being federalized, arguing that the administration’s actions overstep constitutional limits. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson criticized the move, saying that “literally handpicking National Guard people from another state, the state of Texas, and then sending them to the state of Illinois — this is illegal, unconstitutional, and dangerous.”
In response to the escalating situation, Johnson signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting ICE agents from operating on city-owned properties.
Legal experts note that the deployments raise complex constitutional questions, as the National Guard is traditionally activated by state governors, and federal law generally restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement. Trump has said he may invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act if courts block his orders, a move that would allow the use of active-duty troops for law enforcement within the US.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump defended his stance, saying that “if the governor can’t do the job, we’ll do the job.”
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