Supreme Court ruling pushes Trump to abandon National Guard deployments to Chicago, L.A. and Portland
After a Supreme Court emergency ruling that blocked his effort to federalize troops for the Chicago area, President Trump announced on Truth Social he is "dropping" his push to deploy National Guard forces to Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland "for now," warning he may return "in a much different and stronger form." The move follows a string of legal setbacks — including court orders that prevented Portland and Chicago troops from patrolling and a DOJ withdrawal at the Ninth Circuit conceding California Guard members must be returned to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s control (California troops had already left) — while federalized Guard missions remain in places such as Washington, New Orleans, Memphis and Tennessee.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- A recent Supreme Court emergency ruling blocking the administration’s request to deploy the National Guard to the Chicago area was a major legal setback that helped prompt the White House to abandon efforts to federalize Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland “for now.”
- President Trump announced on Truth Social that he is “dropping” the push to send Guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland “for now,” saying the deployments had greatly reduced crime and warning he could return “in a much different and stronger form” if crime rises.
- Legal challenges from Illinois, California and Oregon — including a November ruling by U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut that froze the Portland deployment — prevented Guard members from patrolling city streets in Chicago and Portland; Guard troops previously sent to Los Angeles left after a district judge’s rebuke.
- The Justice Department withdrew an emergency request at the Ninth Circuit to keep California National Guard troops under federal control, effectively conceding those troops must be returned to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authority; Newsom publicly called the federal takeover illegal.
- Some federal Guard deployments remain in place or have been allowed to continue: an appeals court permitted troops to stay in Washington, D.C. while it reviews that deployment, and Guard members are still in New Orleans and Memphis (Tennessee troops have been patrolling since October and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry moved to send 350 troops to New Orleans after the Supreme Court ruling).
- Chicago officials strongly opposed the federal intervention: Mayor Brandon Johnson called the attempted federal takeover “both unnecessary and unconstitutional” and highlighted significant year‑over‑year declines in violence in 2025 (for example, 412 murders through Dec. 28, 2025, versus 585 through the same date in 2024).
- Observers and reporting described the court setbacks as a major blow to the administration’s use of Guard deployments to address illegal immigration and noted the administration may consider other options — including the possibility of invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act — to try to bypass court limits in the future.
đź“Š Relevant Data
In Chicago, police made arrests in 16 percent of fatal shootings within a year of the incident in 2024, down from 23 percent in 2022, with lower arrest rates when the victims are Black.
When Fatal Shooting Victims Are Black, Chicago Police Arrest Rates Drop — Block Club Chicago
Black Chicagoans were 20 times more likely to be the victim of a homicide than White residents, while Hispanics were 4.7 times more likely, from May 2023 to April 2024.
Black, Hispanic Chicagoans made up 95% of homicide victims — Illinois Policy Institute
In Portland, 35.7% of 2024 homicide victims were Black (25 victims), while Black residents make up about 5.8% of the population.
Portland recorded more homicides than Seattle in 2024. What's going on? — OregonLive
Violent crime tends to happen in communities lacking access to quality education, housing, and health care, contributing to racial disparities in Cook County, which includes Chicago.
Why Have Racial Disparities Worsened in Cook County Court? — Injustice Watch
Sending in the National Guard won't make our cities safer, as an intimidating, militarized police presence may temporarily suppress crime by scaring people enough that they stay indoors, but it is neither a sustainable nor an effective strategy for reducing violent crime.
Sending in the National Guard Won't Make Our Cities Safer — Vera Institute of Justice
Between 2010 and 2020, Chicago's Black population decreased from 32.9% to 29.0% of the total population, while the White population increased from 31.7% to 33.5%.
Demographics of Chicago — Wikipedia
đź“° Sources (7)
- NPR piece explicitly quotes Trump’s Truth Social post saying his administration will "for now" halt efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland.
- Clarifies that in Chicago and Portland the Guard deployments were blocked by courts, and that Guard members already deployed to California left after a sharp rebuke from a U.S. District Court judge earlier in December.
- Names U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut and cites her November ruling freezing Trump’s Portland deployment with the quote that keeping the military out of civilian law enforcement is foundational to safeguarding liberties.
- Details that a federal appeals court has allowed National Guard troops to remain in Washington, D.C., while it reviews the legality of that deployment.
- Adds that Tennessee has troops patrolling since October and that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry moved to deploy 350 Guard troops to New Orleans immediately after the Supreme Court ruling, with Guard members having arrived in the city.
- President Trump publicly states he is removing National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, framed here as his own announcement in a news wrap.
- The PBS piece reinforces that the pullback of Guard deployments is now being carried out, not just contemplated or litigated.
- Fox article lays out Trump’s specific Truth Social justification for pulling back the Guard, including his claim that crime was 'greatly reduced' only because of federal deployment and his warning that troops will return 'in a much different and stronger form' if crime rises.
- Provides explicit statement that the National Guard 'will be removed' from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland 'for now' after a series of legal setbacks.
- Notes that California, Illinois and Oregon filed lawsuits over the federalization and that 'federal judges eventually blocked the deployments,' adding detail beyond just the Supreme Court emergency ruling.
- Cites California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s public reaction on X calling the federal takeover illegal and saying it was 'about time' Trump admitted defeat.
- Adds concrete Chicago crime data: 412 murders recorded by Dec. 28, 2025, down from 585 over the same period in 2024, with Chicago’s mayor touting 2025 as having the fewest homicides this century.
- Describes context of anti‑ICE protests in Portland and Los Angeles in 2025, including clashes with authorities as deportation operations ramped up.
- Axios directly quotes Trump’s Truth Social post saying he is 'dropping' his push for National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, claiming crime has been 'greatly reduced' and warning he may 'come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form' if crime rises.
- The article explicitly notes Trump’s assertion that the three cities would be 'GONE' without his administration’s intervention and his characterization of the mayors and governors as 'greatly incompetent.'
- Axios clarifies operational history: Guard members were deployed to Los Angeles after immigration‑related protests escalated, while Trump ordered troops to Portland and Chicago but they were never permitted to patrol city streets due to legal challenges.
- The piece reiterates that the Supreme Court’s ruling last week rejecting Trump’s request to deploy the Guard to the Chicago area was a 'major blow' to the administration’s attempts to cut down on illegal immigration.
- Axios adds that it remains unclear whether Trump might consider invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act to bypass court rulings in the future.
- Links Trump’s decision to abandon National Guard deployments in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland to a recent Supreme Court ruling that blocked his Chicago deployment over Illinois officials’ objections.
- Reports DOJ has withdrawn its request at the Ninth Circuit to keep California National Guard troops under federal control, effectively conceding they must be returned to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authority.
- Clarifies that Guard deployments in Portland and Chicago had been very limited or nonexistent due in part to ongoing legal challenges.
- Provides detailed local context from Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson calls the deployment attempt 'both unnecessary and unconstitutional' and notes Chicago is ending the year with a 30% drop in murders and 35% drop in shootings.
- Confirms the National Guard remains deployed in Washington, New Orleans and Memphis despite the withdrawals from the three contested cities.
- President Trump explicitly stated on social media that he is "dropping" his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland "for now."
- He added a warning that "We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again - Only a question of time!" indicating possible future renewed efforts.
- The article clarifies that Guard troops had already left Los Angeles after a prior deployment, while troops sent to Chicago and Portland were never actually on the streets because legal challenges prevented their deployment.