Trump Reveals National Guard Plan
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his administration is ending National Guard deployments in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, while issuing a clear warning: federal forces will return if violent crime begins rising again in those major cities.
The move comes as the president continues to highlight what he describes as failed leadership in Democratic-run urban areas, where public safety and law enforcement challenges remain a top concern for many Americans.
Trump Credits Federal Action for Restoring Order
In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that federal intervention was the only thing preventing further deterioration in those cities.
“Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago were essentially gone before the Federal Government stepped in,” Trump wrote. “If crime starts soaring again — and it’s only a matter of time — we will come back, perhaps in a much stronger form.”
The president has repeatedly said that local officials were unwilling or unable to protect federal officers, property, and the public during periods of unrest.
Supreme Court Ruling Limits Expanded Use of Troops
The decision to pull back follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that dealt a setback to Trump’s effort to expand National Guard deployments in support of federal immigration enforcement.
In a 6–3 decision, the Court concluded that federal law generally restricts the use of military forces in civilian law enforcement and questioned whether the authority cited by the administration applied under current conditions.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch dissented. Justice Brett Kavanaugh sided with the majority but wrote separately, stating he would have preferred a narrower ruling.
Rare High Court Loss for Trump This Year
The case marked the first time the Supreme Court weighed in directly on Trump’s National Guard strategy. It also represented a rare loss for the president on the Court’s emergency docket, where his administration has otherwise secured several favorable outcomes this year.
Lower courts in Illinois, California, and Oregon had already ruled against the deployments, arguing that the federal government exceeded its authority and encroached on states’ rights.
Troop Presence Was Limited in Some Cities
Despite legal battles, relatively few National Guard troops were ever active in Chicago and Portland due to court challenges.
Los Angeles experienced the largest deployment, with more than 4,000 Guard members at its peak. By mid-December, only about 100 troops remained active, according to U.S. Northern Command.
Trump initially authorized the deployments in June after protests erupted nationwide in response to his renewed immigration enforcement efforts.
Administration Warns of Ongoing Threats to Federal Officers
Senior administration officials have cited repeated incidents of violence and obstruction against federal officers enforcing immigration law.
Local Democratic leaders, however, have disputed those accounts, arguing that conditions on the ground did not warrant federal involvement — a disagreement that has played out in court filings across multiple states.
Washington, D.C. Not Included in Pullback
Notably absent from Trump’s announcement was Washington, D.C., where he used special authority to deploy the National Guard and temporarily take control of local law enforcement to address rising street crime.
Unlike states, the D.C. National Guard operates directly under presidential command, limiting the city’s ability to challenge federal action.
A federal judge initially blocked the deployment in November, but an appeals court later allowed it to continue while the legal case proceeds. Several states also contributed National Guard units in support of the administration’s mission.
Trump Questions Democratic Leaders’ Opposition
Trump closed his statement by questioning why local officials would want federal forces to leave at all.
Trump said it was difficult to understand why Democratic mayors and governors would push for a withdrawal, given what he described as clear improvements in public safety.
