Donald Trump has abruptly halted attempts to deploy National Guard troops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, following legal setbacks and a rare Supreme Court rebuke. The decision marks a significant retreat from his administration's push to federalize state guard units for law enforcement roles in Democratic-run cities.
The shift came after the Department of Justice stopped contesting a California court ruling that returned control of the National Guard to Governor Gavin Newsom. The Supreme Court had also blocked similar deployments in Illinois. Trump attempted to frame the move as temporary, vowing on Truth Social to redeploy later, claiming crime had been reduced by the troops' presence.
Newsom hailed the Justice Department's concession as an end to "illegal intimidation tactics." He directed California National Guard leaders to return service members home. The initial deployment in Los Angeles last June, prompted by protests against ICE raids, faced legal challenges from Newsom, who argued Trump exceeded his authority.
This retreat follows a federal appeals court ruling that troops could remain in Washington DC pending a legality review, despite a lower court ordering their removal. Over 2,000 troops have been deployed there since August, with many from Republican-led states. The future of deployments in other cities, including New Orleans, now appears uncertain.
