Hundreds of Texas National Guard troops have arrived at an Army training facility outside Chicago to support President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown — a move that has sparked fierce backlash from Illinois officials and reignited debate over federal versus state authority.
Government sources confirmed that some of the troops could begin operations as early as Wednesday. Temporary housing trailers have been installed and fencing erected around the Army Reserve Training Center, located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago.
The deployment comes amid growing tension between the White House and several Democratic-controlled states over immigration enforcement. Chicago has seen a surge of protests outside US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices, with President Trump calling the city a “war zone” and defending the troop deployment as necessary “to quell violence and protect federal property.”
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker denounced the move as an “authoritarian march” by the administration. “We will use every lever at our disposal to stop this power grab,” he vowed, accusing Washington of overstepping its constitutional boundaries.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also condemned the deployment, describing it as “illegal, unconstitutional, and dangerous.” He accused the Trump administration of undermining state sovereignty by “sending National Guard personnel from Texas into Illinois without consent.”
In response, Illinois and the City of Chicago have jointly filed a lawsuit to block the federalization of Texas National Guard troops, arguing that the action violates state control provisions. While a federal judge has temporarily allowed the deployment to proceed, similar troop movements to Portland were halted last week.
The controversy escalated following an incident over the weekend in which US Border Patrol agents reportedly shot and injured a woman during a confrontation near immigration vehicles — an event that has fueled renewed protests and public outrage across Chicago.
Though National Guard troops are not authorized to make arrests or conduct searches, their deployment to major US cities has raised alarm over the potential use of military power for domestic law enforcement.
President Trump has hinted at invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807, which would permit the use of active-duty military personnel on American soil. When asked about the possibility, Trump told reporters, “If the governor can’t do the job, we’ll do the job.”
