NEWS

Texas Guard Troops Deployed While Trump Threatens Invoking Insurrection Act in Democratic Cities

Red River Radio | By Jeff Ferrell,

Published October 7, 2025 at 5:06 PM CDT

Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted this photo and wrote, “The elite Texas National Guard. Ever ready. Deploying now.” Gov. Abbott posted the photo on his X, formerly Twitter, account on Monday night, October 6, 2025. Within 20 hours, the post surpassed 2.8 million views.

The President says if legal challenges persist against national guard deployments, under certain conditions he threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, “if it was necessary.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is defending his authorization of President Donald Trump’s deployment of 400 National Guard troops to other states to assist with federal immigration enforcement. That includes Illinois and Oregon, where protests recently broke out outside of immigration offices in both Portland, Oregon and Chicago, Illinois. As Texas Public Radio reports, Abbott says he’s backing the President’s order, contending that Texas National Guard members are needed to protect federal employees.
But Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is also pushing back. On Monday October 6, he called the move an invasion. “We do not need troops sent in from some other place being sent into the state of Illinois, or any troops to be honest with you.”

Police and Federal officers stand guard at an area by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Ore. on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025.

Illinois has sued to stop the deployment, but a federal judge has already declined to block it. Instead, U.S. District Court Judge April Perry has scheduled a full hearing on Thursday, October 9, 2025. A day earlier, late Sunday, October 5, the deployment of national guard units to Oregon was at least temporarily blocked by U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who granted a temporary restraining order. It had been requested by both Oregon and California, during what an Associated Press report described as a hastily called evening telephone hearing.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Washington, as from left, Jarrod Agen, executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council, David Copley, senior director for global supply chains at the National Security Council, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum listen. Trump mentioned the potential use of the Insurrection Act under certain conditions.

The President, on Monday, said if legal challenges persisted against guard deployments he might invoke emergency powers, in the form of the Insurrection Act, “if it was necessary.” This would authorize the president to deploy military forces inside the United States to suppress rebellion or domestic violence. The Insurrection Act was last used in May of 1992 during the Los Angeles riots, after the acquittal of policemen who beat Rodney King.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wrote, “Know you rights, Illinois. Stay safe and stay informed.”

Back in Illinois, Gov. Pritzker took several further steps in light of President Trump’s national guard deployments. On his official X account, the governor posted a graphic which stated: “Know & Exercise Your Rights” with information on constitutional rights. Pritzker also threatened to leave the National Governor’s Association if fellow governors do not denounce Trump deployments.