Pentagon: 500 Guard from Texas/Illinois deployed near Chicago for 60 days to protect ICE
The Pentagon confirmed roughly 500 National Guard troops—about 300 Illinois Guardsmen federalized over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s objections and roughly 200 Texas Guardsmen sent by Gov. Greg Abbott—have been deployed near Chicago for an initial 60‑day period to protect federal property and ICE personnel, with some forces staged at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood. Illinois and the City of Chicago have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the deployments, and a judge is set to hear arguments amid sharp political disputes over the move.
Politics
Legal
Immigration
Military
National Security
Immigration/Enforcement
Public Safety
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. Northern Command/Pentagon confirmed roughly 500 National Guard troops were deployed to the Chicago area: about 300 Illinois Guard members were federalized over the governor’s objection and about 200 Texas Guard troops were mobilized and arrived; the deployment is slated to last at least 60 days.
- Illinois and the City of Chicago filed a federal lawsuit (filed Oct. 6) seeking to block the federalization and deployment, calling the move unlawful and warning against an "occupation."
- A federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois, Judge April M. Perry, set a hearing to consider the request for relief; the court initially declined an immediate temporary restraining order to allow briefing and was expected to rule after the hearing.
- Pentagon/USNORTHCOM said some Texas guardsmen began actively protecting federal personnel and property (locations not fully specified); a Pentagon memo described the intended mission as protecting federal property and federal immigration (ICE) officers.
- Reported Guard duties include establishing security perimeters, crowd control and de‑escalation, and temporarily detaining people to prevent interference or assault (but not making arrests); some troops were staged at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, where fencing, privacy screens and temporary living trailers were installed.
- The federal government filed a detailed (59‑page) response arguing broad presidential authority to federalize and deploy the Guard; Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and city filings press that the deployment is "patently unlawful."
- Officials and political leaders sharply escalated rhetoric: the White House and President Trump publicly attacked Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (including calls to jail them and a White House video calling them "grossly incompetent"); Texas Gov. Greg Abbott authorized and defended sending Texas Guard troops and criticized Pritzker, while other governors (e.g., Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt) criticized the precedent on federalism grounds.
- The administration cited recent protest‑related incidents and safety concerns to justify the deployment — DHS statements included claims that agents had been "rammed" and "boxed in" and acknowledged an incident in which agents shot a woman — and senior critics and military experts warned that using the Guard for such missions risks stretching traditional Guard roles and harming recruitment/public trust.
- The deployments are part of a broader pattern of recent federal Guard activations tied to immigration enforcement and protests (parallel litigation and a temporary restraining order had already blocked Guard deployments to Portland and the 9th Circuit was weighing related appeals).
📚 Contextual Background
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the federal agency responsible for apprehending and detaining people suspected of being undocumented immigrants in the United States.
📰 Sources (20)
‘Pritzker is a joke’: Texas Gov. Abbott mocks sanctuary governor for opposing National Guard troops
New information:
- Gov. Greg Abbott, in an on‑record interview, called Gov. J.B. Pritzker a “joke” and accused him of violating his oath by trying to interfere with federal enforcement operations.
- Pritzker has threatened to withdraw from the National Governors Association if it does not condemn the deployment.
- Abbott characterized Texas Guard’s mission in Illinois as a backup role supporting federal officials amid anti‑immigration protests.
- Reiterates Pentagon’s confirmation that 200 Texas National Guard members were mobilized for an initial 60‑day period and arrived in Illinois Tuesday.
Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Criticizes National Guard Deployment in Chicago
New information:
- Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), chair of the National Governors Association, publicly criticized sending Texas National Guard troops to Illinois over that governor’s objections, citing federalism and 'states’ rights.'
- Stitt said President Trump should have first federalized Illinois troops rather than rely on another state’s Guard crossing state lines.
- Stitt framed the move as setting a precedent a future Democratic president could use, despite reiterating support for protecting ICE and 'law and order.'
- Stitt said he has not yet spoken with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott about the deployment but expects to discuss it soon.
Judge ruling on National Guard lawsuit filed by Illinois, Chicago today
New information:
- A federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois will rule today on Illinois and Chicago’s lawsuit to block the federalized Guard deployment.
- The court previously declined to grant an emergency TRO on filing day and set a briefing deadline.
- The federal government filed a 59-page response just before the Wednesday 11:59 p.m. CT deadline, arguing broad presidential authority and urging judicial deference.
- Illinois AG Kwame Raoul’s filing labels the deployment “patently unlawful,” while DHS/administration cite the need to protect federal agents and ICE facilities from protests.
- Hearing time set for 11 a.m. CT.
Federal judge to rule on whether Trump administration can deploy National Guard in Chicago
New information:
- Judge’s ruling on the administration’s deployment authority is expected Thursday.
- States that 500 Guard were activated overnight Thursday to guard a detention center under protest pressure.
Here is the latest.
New information:
- USNORTHCOM said late Wednesday that some Texas National Guard troops have begun 'actively protecting federal personnel and property' (locations not specified).
- U.S. District Judge April M. Perry will hear arguments at noon ET on whether Texas troops can be used in Illinois; she earlier declined to block their arrival.
- Updated headcount reiterated: roughly 300 Illinois Guard and 200 Texas Guard activated; a ~1,000-person Chicago protest remained largely peaceful.
- President Trump escalated rhetoric, saying Chicago's mayor and Illinois' governor should be jailed.
Trump's use of National Guard strays from role as 'minutemen,' military experts say
New information:
- Broader context that Guard deployments are being used for a range of functions beyond security perimeters, including administrative support to ICE (in Missouri) and civic 'beautification' and patrols in Washington, D.C.
- Adds expert assessment (Ret. Maj. Gen. Enyart) warning of recruitment/public-trust impacts from such missions.
Federal court to weigh Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago area
New information:
- U.S. District Judge April Perry will hear arguments Thursday on Illinois and Chicago’s bid to block the Guard deployment.
- A U.S. Northern Command spokesperson says an element of the 200 Texas Guard troops began protecting federal property in the Chicago area on Wednesday.
- City and state court filing argues Broadview ICE protests never impeded enforcement and calls the deployment a pretext.
- Article notes Trump said the Chicago mayor and Illinois governor should be jailed for failing to protect federal agents.
- Parallel update: the 9th Circuit is set to hear arguments Thursday on Trump’s federalization of 200 Oregon Guard troops; a district court TRO currently bars Portland deployment.
500 National Guard troops deployed in Chicago area amid legal battle
New information:
- Northern Command confirms approximately 500 Guard troops employed: about 200 from Texas and 300 from Illinois.
- Deployment is slated to last at least 60 days.
- Troops’ roles include establishing security perimeters, crowd control and de-escalation; they may temporarily detain to prevent interference/assaults but will not arrest protesters.
- Troops are staged at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, where fencing/privacy screens and temporary living trailers have been installed.
- A federal judge set a Thursday hearing on Illinois/Chicago’s TRO; an immediate TRO was declined to allow federal briefing, and leaders appear to be awaiting the ruling before city deployments.
Homan confirms Texas National Guard 'on the ground' in Illinois, warns anti-ICE rhetoric fueling 'bloodshed'
New information:
- Homan specifies the Guard contingent began active work Tuesday night.
- DHS publicly counters Pritzker’s accusations, emphasizing arrests totals and denying profiling.
- Homan links anti‑ICE rhetoric to recent "bloodshed," escalating the political stakes around the deployment.
Trump calls Chicago mayor and Illinois governor 'grossly incompetent' in new White House video
New information:
- The White House posted a new video on social media Wednesday attacking Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
- In the video, President Trump calls Johnson 'grossly incompetent,' describes Chicago as 'a mess,' and says the city 'needs help' and that the administration is 'stopping it, one by one.'
- The video incorporates an audio clip of Pastor Corey Brooks urging National Guard support due to violent crime in Chicago.
- Trump reiterated on Truth Social the same day that Johnson and Pritzker should be jailed for 'failing to protect' ICE officers; Pritzker responded on X accusing Trump of authoritarianism and vowing not to 'back down.'
Pritzker hurls 'dementia' claim at Trump amid National Guard feud despite defending Biden's mental fitness
New information:
- Direct quote from Gov. J.B. Pritzker: 'This is a man who’s suffering dementia.'
- Pentagon confirmation that Texas National Guard troops arrived in Illinois — 200 guardsmen mobilized for an initial 60‑day period.
- Contextual detail that Pritzker previously defended Joe Biden's mental fitness and publicly praised him before Biden withdrew from the 2024 race.
Trump baselessly calls for Pritzker, Chicago mayor to be jailed
New information:
- Direct Truth Social quote from President Trump calling explicitly for Pritzker and Mayor Johnson to be jailed.
- Reiteration that neither Pritzker nor Johnson has been accused of committing a crime.
- Contextual linkage to the Illinois/Chicago lawsuit seeking to block the federalized National Guard deployment and mention that Texas guard members arrived in the Chicago area Tuesday.
Trump says Chicago mayor, Illinois governor 'should be in jail for failing to protect' ICE officers
New information:
- President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that 'Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!'
- Fox News frames the remark alongside the arrival of federal National Guard troops in Illinois, underscoring an escalation in rhetoric from the White House toward local leaders resisting federal ICE deployments.
- The story is labeled 'developing' and includes attribution to Fox News reporting (senior correspondent Mike Tobin; reporter Greg Norman).
Federal agent says Chicago’s ‘ICE-free zones’ endanger operations, embolden protesters
New information:
- A federal special agent who works deportations in New England told Fox News Digital sanctuary policies that bar ICE from staging on municipal property often force agents to prepare in public venues (e.g., supermarkets, office parks), exposing operations.
- The executive order explicitly prohibits use of city parking lots and garages for civil immigration enforcement staging areas, processing locations or operations bases and enables private businesses to refuse ICE use of their property, per Mayor Johnson.
- The White House issued an explicit, quoted condemnation calling the order 'a disgusting betrayal of every law‑abiding citizen.'
Chicago mayor creates 'ICE-free zones' to block federal agents from city property
New information:
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order establishing 'ICE‑free zones' that prohibit federal immigration agents from using city-owned property for enforcement operations.
- The mayor directed city agencies to identify spaces targeted during past ICE raids and to post notices within five days that such city property will not be used as staging, processing, or operations locations for immigration enforcement.
- The executive order and lawsuit were explicitly coordinated with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who joined litigation attempting to block National Guard deployments to Illinois.
Illinois and Chicago sue the Trump administration over National Guard deployment
New information:
- The complaint text and filing were reported Oct. 6, 2025 (filed Monday), with a direct quote from Illinois AG Kwame Raoul emphasizing the constitutional stakes.
- NPR viewed a Pentagon memo describing the intended use: to protect federal property and federal immigration officers.
- Specific counts of forces: at least 300 Illinois Guard members were federalized and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approved calling up 400 Texas Guard troops, some slated for Illinois.
- Gov. J.B. Pritzker publicly labeled the move 'Trump’s Invasion' on social media, a notable political framing from the state executive.
Chicago and Illinois sue to block Trump’s Guard deployment plan after Portland ruling
New information:
- Illinois and the City of Chicago filed a federal lawsuit on Oct. 6, 2025 seeking to block the federalization and deployment of roughly 300 Illinois National Guard troops (and referencing ~400 from Texas) to Chicago.
- The article quotes the lawsuit language warning against an 'occupation' and quotes Gov. J.B. Pritzker calling the move 'Trump’s invasion.'
- White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson confirmed the president authorized using Illinois National Guard members; DHS acknowledged agents shot a woman Saturday and said agents had been 'rammed' and 'boxed in'—a statement attributed to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
- The piece notes recent related legal action: U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut granted a temporary restraining order blocking National Guard deployments to Portland.
Illinois Sues to Block Trump’s National Guard Deployment
New information:
- WSJ reports Illinois officials filed the lawsuit on Monday seeking to block the federalization/deployment.
- Specifies the administration ordered federalization of roughly 300 Illinois National Guardsmen despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker's objection.
- Reports the administration also ordered federalization of about 400 Texas National Guard soldiers for deployment to Chicago.
White House mocks 'slob' Pritzker after he rejects Trump's National Guard plan
New information:
- White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson publicly mocked Gov. J.B. Pritzker, calling him 'this slob' for rejecting the deployment (quote to Fox News Digital).
- Direct on‑the‑record quote from Gov. Pritzker saying the administration's ultimatum was 'absolutely outrageous and un‑American' and labeling the move 'Trump’s Invasion.'
- Article reiterates that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott authorized sending 400 Texas National Guard members to Illinois and Oregon to 'ensure safety for federal officials.'