Texas National Guard troops arrived Tuesday night in Illinois to protect federal agents amid anti-ICE protests. A Pentagon official confirmed that a total of 200 guardsmen were mobilized for a 60-day period.
BREAKING: The Texas National Guard have been spotted arriving in Chicago, Illinois.
— ManicPapa (Jeff Nusser) (@manic_papa) October 8, 2025
Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson are fuming tonight.
Federal immigration agents now have backup.
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The troops are there "in support of the Federal Protection Mission to protect federal functions, personnel, and property," according to a Pentagon statement. Anti immigration enforcement protests throughout the state have placed ICE agents, along with other federal officers, in harm's way amid President Trump's nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.
The troops left Texas on Monday and were recorded at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, Illinois, about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, late Tuesday.
Hundreds of National Guard soldiers from Texas prepared to start patrolling in Chicago, amid legal battles with Democratic leaders over the limits of presidential authority https://t.co/AX9bP6nBFL pic.twitter.com/NZN5uHZGgr
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 8, 2025
This comes amid escalating anti-ICE protests in Chicago, which intensified after Operation Midway Blitz, a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the so-called sanctuary city, which has resulted in nearly 900 arrests. Federal agents have deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and other forceful measures to disperse protesters who attempted to block vehicle access and assault federal personnel.
The situation has stirred sharp opposition from local and state officials, with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson declaring certain city areas as "ICE-free zones" and opposing the troop deployments as illegal and unconstitutional. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has labeled the deployment an "invasion" and joined Chicago in filing a lawsuit to block the Trump administration's action.
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