'Illegal, Unconstitutional': Chicago, Illinois Lawsuit Didn't Work as Texas National Guard Deploys 200 Troops

Tension flared in Illinois after the Trump administration sent 200 Texas National Guard troops to the outskirts of Chicago on Tuesday, 7 October 2025. The move followed several days of violent protests outside a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview. Officers used tear gas and pepper spray after demonstrators clashed with police near the site.

Despite legal efforts by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a federal judge allowed the deployment. The decision quickly turned the Chicago area into the latest front in Washington's immigration crackdown.

200 Texas National Guard Troops Deployed

The Pentagon confirmed that 200 Texas National Guard troops arrived in Elwood, Illinois, just south of Joliet, as per Fox News. Officials said the deployment formed part of a 60-day 'Federal Protection Mission' aimed at protecting federal buildings and personnel.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the move, saying the soldiers were 'putting America first by ensuring that the federal government can safely enforce federal law.' Troops gathered at the Army Reserve Training Centre in Elwood before heading towards the Chicago metro area.

Their tasks include guarding federal offices and assisting agents after a Department of Homeland Security report claimed ICE personnel had been 'rammed and boxed in by 10 cars' during earlier unrest. Around a dozen protesters were arrested during demonstrations that have lasted several days.

Chicago, Illinois Lawsuit Didn't Work

According to The Guardian, Illinois and Chicago jointly filed a lawsuit on 6 October seeking to block the National Guard deployment. State Attorney General Kwame Raoul asked the court to stop President Donald Trump from sending troops from Texas or any other state without consent.

However, District Judge April Perry refused to issue an injunction. The order cleared the way for the troops to enter Illinois that evening. Mayor Johnson responded by signing an executive order banning ICE agents from using city-owned property for operations.

He said: 'City property and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as staging grounds for these raids. Nobody is above the law.'

Donald Trump Condemned

The deployment drew sharp criticism from Democratic leaders and civil rights groups. Governor Pritzker said, 'Any kind of troops on the streets of an American city don't belong unless there is an insurrection or a true emergency.' He vowed to resist what he called a threat to civil rights and state authority.

Mayor Johnson called the operation 'illegal, unconstitutional, dangerous and wrong.' He accused President Trump of 'waging war on Chicago and attempting to dismantle democracy.' Senator Dick Durbin said the action was 'unlawful' and warned that National Guard troops were being used as 'political pawns'.

Activist Hatem Abudayyeh from the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda described the deployment as part of 'racist and white supremacist attacks' on communities.

Texas National Guard Deployment Sparks Democracy Concerns

The White House justified the action as necessary due to what it called a 'breakdown in local cooperation' with federal law enforcement. Officials claimed that Chicago leaders were 'aiding and abetting criminal illegal immigrant killers, rapists, traffickers, and gang bangers.'

Critics, however, warned of an unprecedented overreach of federal power. They argued that sending troops from another state without the governor's approval undermined state sovereignty and the balance between federal and local authority.

Governor Pritzker described the move as an 'attempt to take away people's rights and invade states'. Mayor Johnson vowed to continue defending Chicago's autonomy, saying: 'We're going to protect the humanity of every single person in the city of Chicago.'

Senator Durbin summed up growing concerns: 'National Guard personnel do not deserve to be used as political pawns in President Trump's political theatre.'

As 200 Texas National Guard troops patrol Illinois, questions over legality, democracy, and federal power continue to dominate the national debate.