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DOJO — Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the Texas National Guard will return home before Thanksgiving, ending a controversial deployment to Illinois that sparked political outrage, legal fights, and questions about whether a governor has the authority to send state troops into another state without permission.
Abbott told Nexstar on Saturday that his troops “have already been ordered to return,” after spending weeks supporting federal immigration agents during heated protests in Chicago and other Illinois cities.
Why Texas Sent Troops to Illinois
Hundreds of Texas National Guard members were deployed on October 7. Their mission: protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and federal buildings as activists rallied against federal immigration raids targeting undocumented migrants.
Illinois officials, who were not notified in advance, condemned the move.
Gov. JB Pritzker called it an “invasion” and demanded the immediate withdrawal of Texas forces.
Why This Deployment Was So Unusual
In the United States, National Guard troops normally operate within their home state, under the authority of their governor.
Sending them across state lines without an invitation is rare — and highly contested.
Legal experts argue it violates state sovereignty, since one governor cannot impose military authority on another state.
Democratic officials in Illinois filed lawsuits, sparking a federal court ruling that temporarily blocked the troops from being activated, but allowed them to remain in Illinois until the case is resolved.
Where the Case Stands Now
The legal battle escalated quickly.
Illinois appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has not yet issued a ruling.
Until then, Abbott’s decision to voluntarily recall the troops essentially pauses the fight — but does not settle the constitutional question.
What Is the National Guard? (For DOJO Readers)
The National Guard is a reserve military force for each U.S. state. Members can be activated by a governor during emergencies like:
- hurricanes
- riots
- border crises
- natural disasters
The Texas National Guard is one of the largest in the country and is often deployed for border security missions or statewide emergencies. But sending them into another U.S. state — especially without an invitation — is almost unheard of.
