Texas National Guard Arrives in Illinois as Legal Battle Intensifies
In a rapidly escalating constitutional crisis, Texas National Guard troops have arrived in Illinois despite fierce opposition from state officials and ongoing legal challenges that could determine the limits of presidential power.
Current Situation
“The president has the constitutional responsibility to enforce the laws of the United States, and those laws include the immigration laws. The president has the authority to call up National Guard to assist in enforcing those laws, and that’s exactly what the president is doing and what Texas is doing — we’re assisting the president in that cause.” — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
Texas National Guard members arrived in Illinois on Tuesday and are expected to deploy to Chicago streets as early as Wednesday, following President Trump’s decision to federalize and deploy out-of-state troops to Democratic-led cities. The troops are currently stationed in Elwood, Illinois, about 55 miles outside Chicago, though their specific mission—whether addressing Chicago crime or protecting ICE agents—remains unclear.
From the Austin American-Statesman:
“It is unclear what authority Texas guardsmen would have to make arrests or enforce the law, and what specific tasks they would perform. The Pentagon, the Texas Military Department and Abbott’s office have not responded to inquiries about specifics.“
Members of the federalized Texas National Guard have arrived at a military facility near Chicago for legal and crowd control training ahead of any specific assignments, according to law enforcement sources. The deployment involves approximately 200-300 troops who departed Texas earlier this week. According to a Defense Department memo, the Texas guardsmen are there for an initial 60-day period, with possible extensions.
Despite being a federal mission called for by the Trump administration, the ongoing government shutdown means the Guard members currently deployed will not receive pay until Congress passes a budget resolution. The federal government will ultimately fund their service, but payment is delayed due to the lapse in appropriations.
President Trump’s threat to invoke an anti-insurrection law and deploy troops to more US cities intensified the battle over the limits to his authority.
State Leaders Push Back
The deployment has triggered strong reactions from governors across multiple states involved in similar controversies.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has been the most vocal critic, calling the Texas National Guard deployment an “invasion” and stating that “Donald Trump is using our service members as political props and as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our country”.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R):
Texas State Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D):
Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro:
“If any other state deployed their National Guard to Texas without our consent, we would call that an invasion of Texas,” the lawmakers said in a Tuesday letter to Abbott.
“As Members of Congress representing Texans, we urge you to immediately decline, withdraw and refuse any cooperation or support for the deployment of the Texas National Guard to Portland, Oregon, Chicago, Illinois, or any other state for civilian or criminal law enforcement purposes. Despite Illinois’ pending litigation in federal court, you’ve willingly sent 200 Texas National Guard troops to Chicago. This request is urgent, grounded in U.S. law, public safety, and our responsibility to the people of Texas.”
Sarah Stonger is a District Attorney in West Texas:
Former NBC Meet The Press moderator Chuck Todd:
ABBOTT VS. PRITZGER
California Governor Gavin Newsom also filed suit after Trump attempted to deploy California National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. Newsom praised a judge’s decision blocking the California troop deployment, writing “We just won in court — again” after securing a temporary restraining order.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek similarly opposed the federal deployment, though 101 California Guard members had already arrived in Oregon on Saturday with more on the way before the court intervened.
From the Chicago Tribune:
The troops’ arrival angered Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat who oversees the state’s fourth most-populous county. Bertino-Tarrant said her office had not been told about plans to garrison the Texas National Guard at the training center, a 3,600-acre site that was previously part of the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant property.
“We received no information or coordination from the federal government about this deployment, the scale of operations or the length of time they will be stationed at this facility. The arrival of the National Guard by the Trump Administration is an aggressive overreach. Our federal government moving armed troops into our community should be alarming to everyone.” — Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Will County Executive
The Court’s Critical Role
Federal judges are now the key arbiters in this unprecedented confrontation between federal and state authority.
In Illinois, U.S. District Judge April Perry declined to immediately block the troop deployment on Monday and gave the administration until the end of today to respond to the lawsuit filed by state and city officials. Hearings are set for this week, with the Justice Department facing a midnight Wednesday deadline to file their response.
The legal landscape differs in Oregon, where the courts have taken a more aggressive stance. A federal judge on Sunday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from sending any National Guard troops to Portland, providing a complete—if temporary—victory for state authorities there.
Legal Questions Ahead
The courts will likely determine several critical constitutional questions:
- Presidential authority: Does the president have unilateral power to federalize state National Guard units and deploy them across state lines against governors’ wishes?
- Emergency powers: Can the administration justify these deployments under existing emergency statutes without clear evidence of conditions requiring military intervention?
- State sovereignty: What rights do states have to resist federal military deployments within their borders?
Legal experts believe it will be up to the courts to resolve these questions, with implications extending far beyond the immediate Chicago and Portland deployments.
As today’s deadline approaches, all eyes turn to the federal courthouse in Chicago, where Judge Perry will weigh arguments that could reshape the balance of power between Washington and state capitals. Whatever she decides, appeals are virtually certain, suggesting this constitutional drama has only just begun.
Austin police are still investigating the city’s 45th homicide of the year and searching for who may have committed the act.
A woman’s body was discovered at 7:42 a.m. Monday morning in a field behind German Auto Center at 8215 Research Boulevard. The victim remains unidentified though she has been described as a woman in her 30s or 40s.
The victim had apparent trauma and appears to have been shot in the field. An unknown suspect or suspects fled the area after the shooting. No arrests have been made, and police have limited information.
Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance to identify witnesses and suspects, asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the area to come forward. Any tips or potential evidence can be submitted by clicking here or scanning the QR code below.
Austin police may soon change their use of force policy. This comes after a law enforcement expert highlighted issues with training and data collection.
A large law enforcement presence is currently active in a Pflugerville neighborhood.
According to the Pflugerville Police Department, the Central Texas SWAT team responded sometime before 5:00 a.m. to a call about a barricaded person on Tanner Trail, not far from FM 1825.
The backlog at the courthouse is causing a problem at the jailhouse. Almost 600 people, all charged with violent crimes, are in the Travis County jails.
Capital Area Crime Stoppers and the APD announced the arrest of a fugitive from justice.
The Travis County Commissioners Court approved two contracts Tuesday totaling $21 million to expand affordable childcare services, a move expected to benefit approximately 1,000 children.
The Austin Independent School District released its preliminary draft plan to close eleven elementary schools, including a Montessori school, and two middle schools.
AISD Superintendent Matias Segura said the list is a draft, and the board will look over the plan Thursday.
Austin City Council meets tomorrow with the following items on its agenda:
Morning Session (9:00 AM)
- Proclamations for National Women’s Small Business Month, National Co-op Month, Roots & Wings Festival, Code Compliance Month, and National Retirement Security Month
Consent Agenda (10:00 AM)
Minutes approval from August and September meetings
Ethics Code amendments regarding Ethics Review Commission jurisdiction
Election administration – Amendment to November 4, 2025 special municipal tax rate election ordinance
Rally Austin funding – Additional $5.4M for Austin Cultural Trust and creative spaces
Major contracts including:
$15M construction services for parking lots/roads
$13.48M computer aided dispatch software
$21.8M for I Belong in Austin housing program
$8M emergency agreement for homeless shelter operations
Real estate acquisition – 1.39 acres at 2401 S. Interstate 35 for $4.375M
Street renaming – Portion of Red River Street to Pike Powers Plaza
Coffee shop accessibility resolution – Analyzing ways to reduce barriers for coffee shops/cafes in residential areas
Public Hearings (12:00 PM)
- Water rate hearing for Aqua Texas customers
Zoning Cases (2:00 PM)
- Multiple neighborhood plan amendments and rezoning cases throughout the city, including:
- Whitehall Cooperative historic landmark designation
- Castleman-Bull House and Trask House downtown
- Various mixed-use development projects in Districts 1, 3, 6, 7, and 9
Public Communication
Citizens speaking on topics including disabilities/mental health, CapMetro safety, homelessness, and Whisper Valley issues
Austin is moving forward with a major redesign of downtown’s Congress Avenue.
The Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative (CAUDI) is the city’s plan to revitalize the street, which leaders say will significantly boost community space. The first phase will stretch from Cesar Chavez Street to 7th Street.
This initial work will focus on expanding sidewalks and pedestrian zones, improving tree health, upgrading bike barriers, and adding turn lanes to help traffic flow better.
One of Austin’s newest structures is now open for tenants.
The Republic is just across the street from Republic Square. At a time when Austin’s office supply is overbuilt and vacancies are high, the Republic has been having success finding tenants. (Austin Business Journal)
Because of the government shutdown, air travel is facing significant challenges. Staffing issues with air traffic controllers are leading to delays at major airports, requiring pilots in certain situations to switch to alternative procedures.
Austin officials plans to release 1,900 grass carp into Lake Austin to combat the rapid spread of invasive hydrilla, which has increased from covering 5% of the lake in June to 30% this month.
A 15-acre wildfire near Cedar Creek in Bastrop County is about 90% contained.
Around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bastrop County authorities were called to the fire located near Hyatt Lost Pines Road and Pope Bend Road.
At 1:45 p.m. the office said firefighters had stopped the progression of the fire and were building containment lines to further limit its spread. (Austin American-Statesman)
WEATHER
TUESDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
THIS IS NOT NORMAL
Tropical Storm Jerry continues to gain strength in the Atlantic.
The Texas Republican Party’s governing board is scheduled to convene this Saturday at the State Capitol. Their agenda includes a potential vote to censure state representatives whom party leaders consider not conservative enough.
This first-of-its-kind tribunal could result in a ruling that would ban these representatives from appearing on the 2026 Republican primary ballot. Over the course of the day, the board will determine if 10 Texas House Republicans attempted to undermine the party’s legislative priorities during the 140-day session earlier this year. (Texas Tribue)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase their enforcement action against hemp.
Houston oil giant Exxon Mobil has abruptly paused plans to build a massive new $10 billion plastics plant along the Texas Gulf Coast, citing “current market conditions” just months before construction was expected to begin. (Houston Chronicle)
The trial of one of the former Uvalde CISD police officers charged with child endangerment in connection to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, is being moved to Corpus Christi, according to the attorney for Adrian Gonzales.
Gonzales’ trial was set to begin in October, but it’s now being delayed to January 5.
The Great Springs Project is an initiative that aims to create a 100-mile hike-and-bike trail network to connect Central Texas’ four great springs from the Alamo in San Antonio to the Capitol in Austin.
A law that took effect at the beginning of last month ensures that the trail will be completed within the next decade.
Two young children drowned in the Brazos River in Johnson County on Tuesday, officials said.
Stories we’re following this morning at Progress Texas:
Around 200 National Guard troops from Texas have been deployed to Chicago over the protests of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, ostensibly to back up ICE agents.
(Episode from October 7, 2025)
(Episode 1):
(Episode 2):
New concrete barriers have been placed in front of the Dallas ICE office. Federal officials said they’re beefing up security nationwide after a deadly attack there two weeks ago.
SPORTS
MLS: As Austin FC prepares for their final two games of the regular season and play in the postseason, the team announced a roster move.
ON THE SCHEDULE
NHL: The 2025 NHL season is underway, but the Dallas Stars do not play their first game until tomorrow night in Winnipeg.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: An article by The Athletic is turning heads in Texas.
Texas Football Turns Page for Oklahoma Sooners | LIVE | 10/8/25
NFL: The NFL said Tuesday it has fined Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones $250,000 for an obscene gesture toward fans at MetLife Stadium late in a 37-22 victory over the New York Jets.
Two Texans, Kelly Clarkson and Matthew McConaughey quiz each other on Texas twang.
