Texas Governor Greg Abbott has given the green light for 400 Texas National Guard soldiers to deploy to Illinois and other sanctuary states, honoring a federal directive issued by President Trump. The move sparked immediate backlash from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who slammed the deployment as “Trump’s Invasion” and accused the White House of violating state sovereignty.
On Sunday, Abbott confirmed he had formally authorized the deployment of Texas troops in support of federal law enforcement, as violent unrest and anti-ICE actions escalate in sanctuary jurisdictions. “I fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officials,” Abbott posted to X. “You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it.”
I fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officials.
You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it.
No Guard can match the training, skill, and… https://t.co/7SUk9XlMBn
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 6, 2025
The move comes after Pritzker issued a furious statement urging Abbott to reject Trump’s request and refrain from coordinating. “There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation,” Pritzker declared. “We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion.”
Abbott fired back, praising the professionalism and readiness of his state’s forces. “No Guard can match the training, skill, and expertise of the Texas National Guard. They defend our country with pride,” he said. He also assured Texans that the state still retains thousands of soldiers actively supporting border security missions.
The mobilization order was relayed through Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who cited an uptick in violence and credible threats targeting federal agents. Hegseth’s memorandum pointed to ongoing attacks in Illinois, Oregon, and other states as justification for the surge.
According to Breitbart Texas, the Illinois deployment follows a chaotic ambush in Broadview, just outside of Chicago, where anti-ICE protesters boxed in federal agents using ten vehicles during a routine patrol. One suspect—armed with a semi-automatic weapon—was shot after ramming a patrol car and confronting officers. Authorities confirmed the individual had been flagged previously for inciting violence online.
President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security is now conducting an aggressive enforcement operation dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, aimed squarely at sanctuary strongholds. Marine patrols have expanded in Chicago’s riverfront districts, while federal agents from across the country converge to support immigration enforcement.
The operation honors Katie Abraham, an Illinois woman killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run by a criminal illegal alien protected under the state’s sanctuary policies. DHS officials say the mission is focused on tracking and apprehending foreign nationals who committed crimes but were allowed to remain due to Democrat-led obstruction.
Meanwhile, a portion of the Texas National Guard will also deploy to Portland, Oregon, where ICE facilities have been under siege. A recent federal court ruling blocked the Trump administration from using Oregon or California National Guard troops, prompting the request for Texas assistance instead.
With the sanctuary state standoff now front and center, President Trump has framed the deployment as a necessary step to restore order. Abbott, for his part, isn’t backing down.
“The Guard’s mission is clear,” the Texas governor said. “We are standing with law enforcement, not lawlessness.”
The post Abbott Defies Pritzker, Approves Trump’s Deployment of Texas National Guard to Sanctuary States appeared first on Real News Now.
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