Texas National Guard Deploys to Chicago Amidst Legal Challenges

Deployment of Texas National Guard

• 🎯 Approximately 200 members of the Texas National Guard have arrived in Illinois, with an expected deployment to Chicago streets.
• ✈️ These troops arrived via C17 military planes and have undergone civil disturbance training.
• 🏛️ The deployment is at the request of President Trump, targeting Chicago as part of a crackdown on crime.

Federal Authority and Legal Opposition

• 🛡️ The Pentagon has ordered these soldiers to protect federal law enforcement and property from alleged violent demonstrations.
• ⚖️ Illinois and Chicago officials have pushed back, suing the administration, calling the move baseless, unlawful, and a violation of the Constitution.
• 🧑‍⚖️ A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments from both sides on Thursday regarding the legality of the deployment.

Potential Escalation and Similar Deployments

• 📈 If the judge does not block the deployment, an additional 300 federal guardsmen from Illinois may be deployed in the coming days.
• 🚨 President Trump has stated he is willing to invoke the Insurrection Act to send troops to Chicago and Portland if necessary.
• 🚫 A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily blocked National Guard deployment there, with a hearing also set for Thursday.
• 🤝 In Portland, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen met with Governor Tina Kotek and Police Chief Bob Day.