Greg Abbott authorizes Trump to deploy Texas National Guard to other states

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The Texas National Guard deployed Monday evening to "safeguard ... federal officials" operating in American cities at direction of President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed on Fox News.

Abbott did not say where the 400 guardsmen are being deployed and the Texas Military Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Though, some Texas National Guard members have been sighted in the Chicago area Tuesday morning, according to the Chicago Tribune.

"The president has the authority to call up the National Guard to assist in enforcing those laws, and that's exactly what the president is doing," Abbott told Sean Hannity on his show Monday evening. "What Texas is doing, we're assisting the president in that cause."

Trump ordered the deployment of 400 members of the Texas National Guard to other states including Oregon and Illinois, according to Sunday social media posts from Abbott and Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who said the deployment targeted "Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States." He called it “Trump’s invasion,” and called on Abbott to withdraw support for the move.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the mobilization of any state national guards to Oregon on Sunday evening. Illinois also sued on Monday to stop the deployment to its state. A federal judge declined to immediately block the deployment to Illinois giving the Trump Administration until Wednesday night to respond to the lawsuit.

Ten Democratic Congress members from Texas also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the state guards, calling the deployment of 200 troops so far to Illinois unlawful.

“Our Guard members are citizen-soldiers who serve in disasters, defend our state, and serve overseas when required,” the lawmakers said in a Tuesday letter to Abbott. “Turning them into a domestic police force in another state – especially over that state’s objections – erodes public trust and undermines the Guard’s core mission.”

The deployment follows protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in both Portland and Chicago. Trump on Sunday claimed Portland was "burning to the ground," despite assurances by both the city's mayor and Oregon's governor that federal assistance was unnecessary. The president also threatened Monday to invoke the Insurrection Act in the city, "if it was necessary."

In announcing the guard's deployment Monday evening, Abbott posted a photo on X showing guardsmen wearing full military gear, some carrying riot shields, loading into the back of a military plane. He also posted a meme making fun of Pritzker and the Democratic governors of New York and California for their opposition to the deployment, claiming the Democrats were defending criminals.

Pritzker responded to Abbott's posts Monday, pointing to Abbott's 2024 claims that then-President Joe Biden was attempting a "power grab" of the Texas National Guard through proposals to transfer Air National Guard members to support Space Force without the consent of their governors.

"Illinois will not let the Trump Administration continue on their authoritarian march without resisting," Pritzker wrote. "We will use every lever at our disposal to stop this power grab because military troops should not be used against American communities."

The mobilization follows protests at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in these states that have led to arrests.

Texas also saw a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas late last month, which killed two migrant detainees and injured another.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a memo about the Texas Guard’s mobilization that “the orders will be effective immediately for an initial period of 60 days.” They could also be extended where needed, including in Portland and Chicago, but it was unclear how the deployment would proceed.

This is not the first time Abbott has authorized the Texas National Guard in recent years.

Earlier this year, the governor granted the Texas National Guard the authority to make immigration arrests through an agreement between the state and the Trump administration. The agreement allowed National Guard members to help detain and deport undocumented people in the state.

He also deployed more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops to the sites of protests and demonstrations against immigration raids and deportations in June.

“Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law,” Abbott said in a June news release announcing the deployment.

Even before Trump began his second term, Abbott dispatched about 10,000 Texas National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of Operation Lone Star — the governor’s border security initiative.

“America must also know that Texas still has thousands of National Guard assisting with the Border security,” Abbott said in his Sunday post.

Abbott’s office has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Texas Tribune.

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