Why is Trump sending Texas National Guard troops to other states?

President Donald Trump has authorized Texas National Guard troops to be sent to Illinois and other states to bolster federal immigration enforcement.

The order has already triggered legal challenges in multiple states.

But on Tuesday morning, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said "The National Guard is on the way, right now," to Chicago.

Bondi made the comment in her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She is addressing several issues before the panel on Tuesday, including the deployment of federal troops to U.S. cities.

"You're sitting here and grilling me and they're on their way to Chicago to keep your state safe," added Bondi.

Here's the background

In a social media post over the weekend, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Trump had authorized up to 400 members of the Texas National Guard "for deployments to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States."

Pritzker has condemned the federal authorization, calling it an "invasion." On Monday, Illinois and Chicago sued the Trump administration to block the deployment, but a federal judge quickly declined to pause the order. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

During a press conference later that day in Illinois, Pritzker urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to "immediately withdraw his support for this decision." But Abbott says he's fully backing the president's order.

"You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it," Abbott wrote on social media.

The Texas governor's office didn't respond to requests for comment on Monday. However, Monday evening, the governor shared a picture on social media showing troops boarding two planes.

"The elite Texas National Guard. Ever ready. Deploying now," Abbott wrote.

As of now, Texas troops cannot be sent to Oregon after a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying out-of-state forces to the state. The ruling came after Oregon, California and Portland sought to block the deployment following the sudden arrival of federalized California National Guard members in Portland.

Why now?

The Trump administration is escalating immigration enforcement in several cities, including Chicago and Portland, where federal agents have faced protests outside of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. Officials say Guard troops would be used to bolster security for federal personnel and property.

Who controls the National Guard?

Normally, governors control their state's National Guard, often activating troops for emergencies like natural disasters or civil unrest. But under federal law, the president can "federalize" the Guard, transferring command from the governor to the Department of Defense.

The president can only take control in rare cases — like if the U.S. is under attack from a foreign country, or as the Trump administration is arguing in this case, if there's a perceived threat of rebellion against the federal government.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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