Texas National Guard soldiers arrived in Elwood, Illinois, this week amid rising tensions over the administration’s enforcement operations in immigrant communities. Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have filed lawsuits challenging the action as unconstitutional, arguing that no troops should be on city streets absent an insurrection or a state request for aid.
“Any kind of troops on the streets of an American city don’t belong unless there is an insurrection,” Pritzker said Tuesday. “I’m going to do everything I can to stop him from taking away people’s rights.”
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Federal officials say the deployment—part of “Operation Midway Blitz”—is intended to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement in detaining individuals with criminal warrants. Local leaders and civil rights groups describe it instead as political theater designed to intimidate residents and undermine state authority.
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The clash follows weeks of confrontations between protesters and law enforcement in Chicago’s suburbs, where tear gas and pepper spray have been used during demonstrations against immigration raids. Journalists and advocacy groups have filed lawsuits accusing federal agents of using excessive force and obstructing press freedoms.
The Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has defended the operation as “lawful and necessary,” while Senate Democrats warn that the administration’s tactics threaten the independence of federal law enforcement.
Trump, meanwhile, escalated rhetoric at a campaign rally, calling Pritzker and Johnson “criminals” who “should be in jail” for defying federal orders.
As lawsuits advance in Illinois courts, the confrontation is testing the limits of presidential authority—and deepening a national debate over federalism, policing, and the use of military power on American soil.
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A federal district court in Chicago is scheduled to hear arguments later this week on the state’s emergency injunction to block the troop deployment. If the court grants a temporary restraining order, Texas units could be ordered to withdraw from Illinois pending a broader constitutional review.
Meanwhile, Illinois lawmakers are preparing legislation to formally prohibit foreign state military forces from operating within state lines without the governor’s consent. The Department of Homeland Security has been asked to testify before Congress about its coordination with National Guard units and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Protesters are planning additional demonstrations this weekend near Joliet and downtown Chicago, with community groups calling for federal oversight and de-escalation. The situation remains fluid as both legal and political tensions mount.
