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The Texas Military Department (TMD) confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that it replaced seven National Guard members who were deployed to Illinois amid civil unrest, citing the service members’ failure to meet “mission requirements.”
About 200 Texas National Guard troops were deployed to Illinois on Oct. 7 for a 60-day mission to protect federal personnel and property during anti-immigration protests, the Pentagon previously confirmed.
During the pre-mission validation process, the Texas National Guard identified and replaced seven service members who did not meet mission requirements, a TMD spokesperson said.
The affected Guardsmen were returned to their home station, though the department did not specify the reasoning for their removals.
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A protester wearing an American flag face covering stands opposite of several Cook County Sheriffs outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (Adam Gray/AP Photo)
The announcement comes after a photo showing a group of service members arriving in Illinois went viral on social media, with critics speculating about their fitness.
“The Texas National Guard echoes Secretary [of War Pete] Hegseth’s message to the force: ‘Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear,'” a TMD spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
U.S. service members were criticized for their weight on social media after a photo of their arrival in Illinois went viral. (Erin Hooley/AP)
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Hegseth in September called for service members in combat roles to meet the highest male standards for physical fitness.
Department officials did not confirm if the service members in the viral photo were the same Guardsmen removed from the mission.
Law enforcement detains a protester near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (Erin Hooley/AP)
TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYS 200 TROOPS TO ILLINOIS FOR FEDERAL PROTECTION MISSION AMID PROTESTS
A federal judge ruled Saturday National Guard troops can stay in Illinois but cannot patrol or protect federal property.
The decision followed a request from the Trump administration to lift a prior block on their deployment. The temporary restraining order keeps the troops in place pending further court arguments.
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Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.