Texas National Guard Hits Chicago Streets — Troops Wearing Lone Star Patches Arrive Under President Trump’s Orders
Military personnel in uniform, with the Texas National Guard patch on, are seen at the US Army Reserve Center, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Elwood, a suburb of Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
The first wave of National Guard troops deployed by President Trump to the Chicago area arrived Tuesday at an Army training facility outside the city. Reporters from the Associated Press observed uniformed personnel wearing Texas National Guard patches at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, about 55 miles southwest of Chicago.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted photos Monday showing his state’s National Guard members boarding a plane, though he did not specify their destination. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker confirmed that roughly 300 Illinois Guard members have been federalized to join 400 Texas troops heading to Chicago, part of the broader federal effort to address ongoing violence and bolster immigration enforcement operations in the city.
The deployment comes as Illinois and the City of Chicago filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the President’s authority to send in troops, calling the move “unlawful and dangerous.” A federal judge declined to issue an immediate block on the deployment, giving the administration until Wednesday at midnight to respond, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said local officials received no prior coordination from Washington, calling the move “an aggressive overreach.” She added, “Our federal government moving armed troops into our community should be alarming to everyone.” The Will County Sheriff’s Office stated that it will continue to comply with state law, which bars local police from assisting federal authorities in immigration enforcement.
Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued an executive order Monday prohibiting federal agents from using city-owned properties—including parking lots, garages, and vacant spaces—as staging areas. Johnson said Tuesday that with around 3,000 runners from Mexico registered for this weekend’s Chicago Marathon, he is encouraging them to attend, declaring that “the best way to show resistance is not bending the knee to tyranny.”
Governor Pritzker accused the Trump administration of deliberately sowing chaos to justify military intervention, saying, “The Trump administration is following a playbook: cause chaos, create fear, and make peaceful protesters look like a mob by using tear gas and gas pellets. Why? To create the pretext for invoking the Insurrection Act.”
President Trump has said he may invoke the Insurrection Act if courts attempt to block his troop deployments.
FBI Director Kash Patel voiced support for the mission on X (formerly Twitter), posting Tuesday morning: “Chicago will be saved, and the FBI will continue to crush violent crime there and across the country. Heading to the Windy City now.”
At a press conference later that day, Mayor Johnson responded with sarcasm: “Well, Kash is really coming here to enjoy the city of Chicago and spend money. And I strongly encourage him to spend as much as he possibly can.”
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