National Guard Deployment in Chicago Cost $21M

The Congressional Budget Office details the expenses of the immigration enforcement operation.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 6:39pm

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A new report from the Congressional Budget Office reveals that President Trump's deployment of the National Guard to U.S. cities for immigration enforcement operations last year cost approximately $496 million, with $21 million spent on the Chicago deployment from October to December 2025 as part of "Operation Midway Blitz".

Why it matters

The National Guard deployment to Chicago was one of six such operations across the country, raising concerns about the high costs and questionable necessity of these missions, which some argue are harmful to military readiness and resources.

The details

The cost estimates take into account pay and benefits, lodging, food and transportation for the Guard members. In Chicago, about 375 members of the Illinois National Guard were mobilized, with an average daily cost per Guard member of around $550, including $260 for basic pay and $142 for housing. However, the Guard members in Chicago never actually participated in any immigration enforcement after a judge issued an injunction soon after their arrival.

  • The National Guard members were deployed to Chicago in October 2025.
  • The deployment lasted from October to December 2025 as part of "Operation Midway Blitz".

The players

President Trump

Issued a memorandum last June calling at least 2,000 National Guard personnel into federal service to protect federal government personnel and property.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

Criticized the open-ended, unjustified missions as an immense waste of taxpayer dollars and harmful to the military's readiness, morale and resources.

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What they’re saying

“These open-ended, unjustified missions are not just an immense waste of taxpayer dollars, they are harmful to our military's readiness, morale and resources and create an incredibly dangerous precedent.”

— Sen. Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Senator (Statement)

What’s next

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with the judge's injunction late last year, preventing the National Guard from participating in any immigration enforcement activities in Chicago.

The takeaway

The high costs and questionable necessity of these National Guard deployments for immigration enforcement operations have raised concerns about the impact on military readiness and resources, as well as the potential for such missions to set a dangerous precedent.