Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gave the green light Sunday for President Trump to deploy 400 Texas National Guard troops, likely headed to Illinois and Oregon, to secure federal immigration facilities caught up in protests. Abbott made the call public on X, firing back at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who’d raised alarms about Trump’s plan to send Texas guardsmen to his state, Oregon, and other Democratic-led cities. Trump insists the troops are needed to keep the peace around federal sites, especially ICE centers, where demonstrations have flared.
Abbott didn’t name specific destinations for the Texas troops but stressed they’d be there to “keep federal officials safe.” He doubled down, boasting, “No Guard comes close to the training, skill, and grit of the Texas National Guard. Either protect federal workers or step aside and let Texas handle it.”
The move comes as tensions boil over in places like Portland, where Oregon officials are battling the Trump administration in court to block federal control of their own National Guard. A federal judge hit pause Saturday on federalizing Oregon’s Guard, citing mostly calm conditions, but the White House seems to be pivoting to out-of-state troops like Texas’ to get around the ruling. The legal mess in Portland leaves questions about how Abbott’s decision will play out on the ground.
Pritzker, a vocal Trump critic, slammed the plan as flat-out unconstitutional and a misuse of the Guard. He said his office wasn’t even looped in on the Texas troop plan and called on Abbott to pull back, arguing, “Our brave National Guard members shouldn’t be pawns in some political game.” Illinois has already sent state police to manage protesters at an ICE detention center in Broadview, near Chicago, where things have gotten heated.
In Oregon, protests outside an ICE facility in Portland have been a regular flashpoint, and local leaders are bracing for more friction if Texas troops show up. The judge’s ruling might not cover out-of-state Guard units, leaving Oregon with few options to push back. Meanwhile, the broader debate rages on about whether Trump has the authority to deploy National Guard troops in states without their governors’ consent, especially when protests haven’t spiraled into chaos.
Political analyst Niall Stanage warned on NewsNation Prime that Trump’s push to use the military in U.S. cities risks setting a dangerous precedent. For now, details on when and how the Texas troops will deploy remain murky, but the clash between state and federal power is only heating up.
