Tension has gripped the United States after hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers arrived at a U.S. Army facility outside Chicago, following President Donald Trump’s order to deploy 300 troops to the city.
The move, which the president described as part of a “crackdown on Democrat-run cities,” has triggered outrage among Illinois leaders and protesters, who condemned it as a dangerous political stunt.
According to Sky News, the deployment is linked to Trump’s broader plan to intensify immigration enforcement and address what he calls “lawlessness” in certain states.
However, Illinois officials have described the operation as politically motivated and unconstitutional.
Governor JB Pritzker reacted sharply, accusing the president of using military forces for partisan purposes.
“President Trump is using our National Guard troops as political props and pawns,” Pritzker said.
“This is an abuse of power that undermines the trust between states and the federal government.”
Images shared online showed armed personnel wearing Texas National Guard patches arriving at the U.S. Army Reserve Centre in Elwood, southwest of Chicago.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed the move on X, writing: “The elite Texas National Guard are on the ground and ready to go. They are putting America first by ensuring the federal government can safely enforce federal law.”
However, Illinois state officials say they were blindsided by the sudden arrival.
“This is an aggressive overreach. Our federal government moving armed troops into our community should be alarming to everyone,” warned Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant.
Meanwhile, protests have erupted across Chicago and neighboring towns.
Demonstrators are demanding that the troops be withdrawn immediately, with many accusing the administration of fueling political division ahead of the next election cycle.
In addition, Trump’s recent online activity has added to the controversy.
The president shared an AI-generated image of himself dressed as a soldier from Apocalypse Now, captioned: “I love the smell of deportations in the morning.”The post has been widely criticized as tone-deaf and inflammatory.
Furthermore, the deployment coincides with a nationwide immigration sweep in predominantly Latino communities, raising fears of racial profiling and abuse of power.
