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President Donald Trump deployed Texas National Guard members to Illinois amid his ongoing immigration crackdown
Photos of some of the National Guard members circulated, which prompted the removal of “a small group” of Guard members who did not meet military requirements
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised the decision, saying “standards are back”
The Texas Military Department has removed a handful of Texas National Guard members who did not meet military physical standards after social media users remarked on the troops’ appearance.
Two hundred troops were sent to Chicago to enforce President Donald Trump‘s ongoing immigration crackdown. Now, “a small group” of them have been replaced after they reportedly failed to meet physical fitness requirements, a Texas Military Department spokesperson told Task & Purpose in an article published Sunday, Oct. 12.
“In less than 24 hours, Texas National Guardsmen mobilized for the Federal Protection Mission,” the spokesperson said, per the outlet. “The speed of the response necessitated a concurrent validation process, during which we identified a small group of service members who were not in compliance and have been replaced.”
The National Guard Bureau previously said in an Oct. 9 statement that, “National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are required to meet service-specific height, weight and physical fitness standards at all times,” Task & Purpose reported.
The Texas Military Department did not state which standards the troops who were replaced failed to meet.
PEOPLE reached out to the Texas Military Department and the National Guard Bureau for comment.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth celebrated the removal of in a post on X. “Standards are back at The @DeptofWar,” he wrote in response to Task & Purpose’s headline.
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Texas National Guard members are seen at the Elwood Army Reserve Training Center on October 07, 2025 in Elwood, Illinois.
This comes weeks after Hegseth spoke with various high-ranking military officials in Quantico, Va., on Sept. 30, and said the department would implement a 10-point plan to reshape military standards.
“It’s tiring to look out at combat formations or really any formation and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” Hegseth said.
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He added that if women don’t meet the criteria, they will not be allowed to serve in the military. “If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it…that is not the intent, but it could be the result.”
During the speech, Hegseth dismissed diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. “No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship,” Hegseth said.
After the Sept. 30 speech, the president directed the National Guard to send troops to Illinois for Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Despite the president’s order, on Thursday, Oct. 9, federal Judge April Perry ruled to temporarily block the National Guard deployment in Chicago for at least two weeks, per the Associated Press.
Andrew Harnik/Getty
Pete Hegseth on September 30, 2025 in Quantico, Virginia
On Saturday, Oct. 11, the appeals court upheld the temporary pause, shutting down the Trump administration’s attempt to allow troops to be deployed in Illinois immediately, per Reuters.
The order is set to expire on Oct. 23, however, Perry could extend it, Reuters reported.
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