President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. This decision comes after legal challenges hindered the full deployment of the Guard in these cities.
Trump stated on his social media platform, ‘Truth Social,’ that crime rates have significantly decreased due to the presence of ‘patriotic’ National Guard members. He asserted that these cities were on the verge of collapse before federal intervention. He added, ‘We will be back, perhaps in a different and far stronger form, when crime rates start to rise again… It’s only a matter of time.’
Months prior, Trump ordered the deployment of the National Guard to these cities, as well as Memphis, to combat crime and support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The move was met with strong opposition from Democrats, who denounced it as an authoritarian overreach of presidential power. They argued that the National Guard in each state is under dual authority, reporting to both the President and the local governor.
While troops had already departed Los Angeles following their earlier deployment as part of a broader anti-crime and immigration initiative, their deployment in Chicago and Portland faced ongoing legal challenges, preventing their full operational presence on the ground.
Trump has made addressing urban crime a central theme of his second term. He has even considered invoking the Insurrection Act to prevent opponents from using the courts to obstruct his plans.
The President views his tough-on-crime approach as a winning political strategy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Judges reviewing lawsuits filed by the cities challenging the deployments have ruled that the Trump administration exceeded its authority. They found no evidence supporting claims that the troops were necessary to protect federal property from protesters.
On December 23rd, the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops in Illinois. This decision undermined the legal rationale used to justify sending troops to other states.
