Texas National Guard deployment cost nearly $5 million, report says

Driving the news: Texas National Guard troops left Chicago on Monday, according to a memorandum obtained by the Chicago Tribune.

By the numbers: A report from the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive research organization, put the cost at more than $4.6 million for the deployment of 200 Texas National Guard troops from Oct. 10-Nov. 15.

• 300 Illinois troops were deployed over the same time at a cost of $8.1 million, per the group.
• That's an average cost of $647 per day per troop.

Flashback: An analysis by the Austin American-Statesman roughly one month into the deployment found that it had likely already exceeded $4 million.

• The Statesman analyzed publicly available salary, lodging and meal reimbursement rates.
• The estimate didn't include flights or fuel costs.

Catch up quick: Gov. Greg Abbott said he authorized President Trump to dispatch the Texas troops to Chicago to "ensure safety for federal officials" amid immigration enforcement efforts in the city.

• "You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it," Abbott said on X in early October.
• Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker opposed the Texas deployment, and the troops were never sent into streets after a judge blocked the move by the Trump administration.

• A spokesperson for the governor declined to comment on the cost of the operation, pointing Axios to the Texas Military Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Between the lines: 51% of Texans opposed the deployment of the Texas National Guard for law enforcement purposes to cities outside Texas, per a recent poll of 1,200 registered voters by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas.

• 41% supported the deployment.

What's next: Axios has filed an open records request with the Texas Military Department seeking the overall cost of the deployment.