Texas National Guard Deployed to Chicago Amid Legal Battle and Local Opposition:

In a controversial move that has sparked backlash from local and state leaders, National Guard troops from Texas have arrived in Illinois ahead of a planned deployment to Chicago. The action, ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, is being described by critics as unconstitutional and politically motivated. The deployment, which took place on Tuesday, comes despite legal efforts by both the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago to block it. Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have filed a lawsuit arguing that the federal government is overstepping its authority by federalizing 300 Illinois National Guard members and sending in troops from Texas. The National Guard deployment to Chicago is the latest in a series of escalations by the Trump administration as part of its aggressive approach to immigration enforcement and law-and-order politics. While the administration has not provided a clear mission for the Guard’s presence in Chicago, tensions have been rising around immigration-related protests, particularly near the federal immigration facility in Broadview, just outside the city. President Trump has repeatedly painted a grim picture of Chicago, calling it a “hellhole” of crime, despite official police data showing otherwise. In fact, recent statistics indicate a 33% reduction in homicides and a 38% drop in shootings in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year. “If you look at Chicago, it’s a great city with a lot of crime,” Trump said on Tuesday. “If the governor can’t do the job, we’ll do the job. It’s all very simple.” However, local officials and civil rights groups argue that the situation is far more complex—and that federal involvement is only inflaming tensions. Mayor Johnson has called the deployment “unconstitutional, illegal, and dangerous,” while Governor Pritzker has accused the president of using troops as “political props” ahead of the 2026 elections. “This is not about public safety,” Pritzker said. “This is about Donald Trump trying to create a crisis where there is none, to justify the militarization of our cities.” The Trump administration has taken similar actions in Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., often in the face of strong resistance from Democratic leaders. In Portland, a federal judge recently blocked further deployments, ruling that the situation did not justify military involvement. Amid rising concerns, President Trump has hinted at invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law from 1807 that allows the president to deploy military forces within the United States in cases of rebellion or insurrection. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, “We have an Insurrection Act for a reason. If I have to enact it, I’d do that.” However, legal experts warn that invoking the Insurrection Act under current conditions would be a gross misuse of presidential power. Constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein explained that the law is meant for extreme cases like civil war or total breakdown of government functions—not peaceful protests or declining crime rates. “Trump’s use of the Insurrection Act in this context would be clearly illegal,” Fein said. “Even if courts cannot stop it immediately, Congress could impeach him for abusing the law.” For now, the legal battle continues. A federal judge, April Perry, allowed the deployment to proceed temporarily but has ordered the Justice Department to submit a full response by Wednesday. As the situation unfolds, many are watching closely to see whether the courts will intervene—and whether the deployment of the National Guard to Chicago will set a dangerous precedent for future federal overreach in America’s cities.

NEWS