President Donald Trump has officially suspended his efforts to dispatch National Guard troops to several major cities after a prolonged tug-of-war with the courts and Democratic leadership.
According to Military Times, after months of federal pushback and legal standoffs, Trump announced this week he is dropping—for now—plans to deploy Guard units to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, citing an onslaught of court decisions blocking his authority.
Originally part of a broader federal response aimed at escalating crime, coordinated protests, and deteriorating public safety in progressive-run cities, Trump’s plan ran hours on the clock but ultimately got benched in the judicial system.
Governors, Courts Block Trump’s Crime Crackdown
Despite the President’s intent to override typical state-level control over National Guard units, the courts held firm. In all three target cities, federal deployment efforts were dismantled by legal rulings, exposing the limitations of unilateral executive muscle in domestic matters.
In Chicago, Trump's team ran aground when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to allow federal Guard deployment last month, a major blow to the administration's crime-restoration campaign. While the Justice Department emphasized that the troops' mission focused solely on protecting federal property, judges—and Democrat state leaders—weren’t buying it. “[Trump] lost in court when Illinois stood up against his attempt to militarize American cities,” said Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker. “Now Trump is forced to stand down.” Perhaps, Governor—but Chicago still logged 416 homicides in 2025 alone. If that's a "win," one wonders what loss looks like.
Los Angeles Deployment Ends After Court Order
The Los Angeles case actually saw troops on the ground. In June, about 4,000 Guard members and 700 Marines were sent in following a wave of immigrant-related arrests and heightened unrest—a situation local leaders seemed slow to control.
The gradual drawdown in LA began soon after, culminating in complete withdrawal by December 15, when a lower court restored control of the troops to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Trump initially resisted but eventually dropped his opposition, and the Ninth Circuit Court reaffirmed Newsom’s authority this week.
The California governor responded with triumphalism. “About time (Trump) admitted defeat,” he declared. But legal victory or not, one wonders what would have happened to LA had order not been restored before the final gavel fell.
Portland Never Saw a Full Federal Arrival
In Portland, the battle ended even earlier. Though troops from California and Oregon were federally ordered to assist, they were barred from operating in public areas by a federal judge. The restriction hardened in November after a three-day trial, ultimately banning the deployment permanently.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek claimed the federal troops “were never lawfully deployed” and insisted there was “no need for their presence,” doubling down on the bureaucratic view that paperwork matters more than results on the ground. Portland’s local officials credit their crime decline to police reforms and public programs. But it's unclear how those same policy tools ever worked the last time unrest burned through the city’s struggling downtown streets.
Trump's Statement: A Warning And A Promise
Trump didn’t go quietly. “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again,” he posted on social media. “Only a question of time!” That kind of preview may unsettle the progressive commentariat, but it also signals where national priorities are heading. Americans watching their cities suffer from revolving-door justice and unchecked violence may view Tuesday’s demobilization not as closure, but as an intermission.
Meanwhile, just because three blue-city deployments were axed doesn’t mean there are no troops left in the field. In Washington, D.C., a previous lower court ruling to remove troops was recently paused by the appellate court, allowing soldiers to remain.
Other Cities Still Hosting National Guard
In Memphis, Tennessee, the Guard’s deployment was challenged but remains active for now, thanks to a stay of court order. The operation is part of a wider federal initiative, and unlike in other cities, appears to carry more local support.
New Orleans welcomed 350 National Guard troops into the French Quarter at the end of December. The deployment, aimed at keeping Mardi Gras secure, was supported not just by Louisiana's Republican governor but by the Democratic mayor—proof that when ideology bends to public concern, cooperation actually happens. Crime doesn’t play politics. Unfortunately, too many city halls do. And when they reject help just to win legal battles, it’s the American people who pay the price.
