Texas National Guard troops have been dispatched to Illinois in support of a federal protection mission amid anti-immigration protests.
The Pentagon confirmed 200 guardsmen will serve a 60-day assignment protecting federal facilities, personnel, and property. Their arrival occurred despite opposition from state and city leaders.
Department of Homeland Security officials cited recent incidents in which ICE agents were boxed in and attacked by protestors as justification for the deployment. The mission represents an escalation in federal response to unrest surrounding immigration enforcement operations.