Texas National Guard members depart from Fort Bliss to deploy to Chicago
Texas National Guard appears to arrive in Indiana amid legal fight over deployment in neighboring Illinois
From CNN's Josh Campbell
A flight carrying members of the Texas National Guard appears to have arrived in Indiana after being deployed on the orders of President Donald Trump to conduct operations in the neighboring state of Illinois, according to public flight tracking records.
Earlier Monday evening, a law enforcement source said Texas guard members activated by Trump to conduct public safety operations in Chicago departed the Fort Bliss military installation in El Paso, Texas, on a US military Globemaster C-17 transport plane.
It’s unclear what specific role the Texas guard may eventually play in Chicago.
On Monday, Illinois officials sued the federal government to stop the deployment of troops. A judge has given the Justice Department a deadline of midnight Wednesday to respond to the lawsuit.
Texas National Guard now headed to Illinois, source says
From CNN's Josh Campbell
Members of the Texas National Guard are now en route to Illinois following the Trump administration’s ordering of troops from the state to conduct operations in the Chicago area, a law enforcement source familiar with the operations tells CNN.
As part of the deployment, a US military Globemaster C-17 transport plane departed the Fort Bliss military installation in El Paso, Texas, Monday evening, and is currently headed to Illinois, the source said.
Earlier Monday evening, Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted a photo of Texas guards members carrying riot gear boarding a military transport aircraft.
Abbott tweets picture of Texas National Guard "deploying now"
From CNN's Danya Gainor
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted this photo of Texas National Guard troops deploying.Greg Abbott/X
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted a picture of several Texas National Guard members – outfitted in fatigues, helmets and handheld shields – boarding a military aircraft, writing that the troops are “deploying now” ahead of the anticipated arrival of National Guard members in Illinois Monday night.
His state’s National Guard “began their deployment as they were loading on planes in Texas, boarding for flights to parts of the country where they will be able to safeguard ICE officials and other federal officials as they try to enforce the laws of the United States of America,” Abbott told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Monday night.
The deployment comes after Illinois and the city of Chicago sued the Trump administration earlier Monday, calling the plans to move troops from the Illinois and Texas National Guards into Chicago “illegal, dangerous, and unconstitutional.”
A federal judge has given the administration two days to respond to the lawsuit, but she didn’t immediately block the deployment.
