The Texas National Guard deployed 200 members to Chicago last month, but they have now returned home following a six-week mission. This deployment has been reported to have cost taxpayers over $4.6 million, with military records indicating that there was no on-the-ground enforcement activity during this time.
On Monday, troops departed from Chicago, as revealed in a memorandum acquired by the Chicago Tribune, marking the end of a mission that Gov. Greg Abbott characterized as a measure to “ensure safety for federal officials” amid intensified immigration operations in the city. In October, Abbott stated that he had given the green light to then-President Donald Trump to send Texas forces, contending that the state would take action if the leaders of Illinois failed to do so. “You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or step aside and allow the Texas Guard to take action,” Abbott stated on X.
However, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed his opposition to the deployment, and a federal judge intervened to prevent the Trump administration from dispatching Texas troops to the streets of Chicago. Consequently, service members remained off the streets and away from enforcement duties for the entirety of their assignment…