Formerly trained Texans will patrol Chicago for 60 days to protect federal facilities, a move that Illinois and Chicago have sued and Illinois officials have denounced as an unconstitutional invasion, according to a 2025 report.
National Guard set to guard federal sites in Chicago
President Donald Trump authorized Texas National Guard units to deploy to Chicago, tasking them with protecting federal agencies and serving as a rapid‑response force for riots or violent incidents. The soldiers, trained at a military base in Illinois, will operate for a provisional period of 60 days. A federal court is slated to consider lawsuits filed by the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago that seek to halt the mobilization on October 9.
Illinois officials brand the move an unconstitutional invasion
State authorities condemned the deployment, calling it an “unconstitutional invasion.” Former Chicago mayor and Obama staff chief Rahm Emanuel said the Trump administration’s actions were not lawful, noting that 200 Guard officers would be a drop in the ocean compared with Chicago Police’s 12,000 ranks and they lack intimate knowledge of the city’s geography.
Pentagon remains silent on decision
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker reported he had received no communication from Washington regarding the troop move. He said he had canceled all other engagements to speak with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but the secretary reportedly did not return calls and was seen performing push‑ups in a social media post, according to the Associated Press.
Trump repeats earlier street deployments in Washington and Portland
This Chicago deployment follows August’s order that National Guard, federal agents and police patrol Washington, D.C., and a September directive to send federal troops to Portland. Trump said the moves were to prevent crime and respond to requests from National Security Advisor Kristi Noem, promising to protect federal immigration facilities from alleged attacks by Antifa and other “national terrorists.”
