The US Supreme Court has refused to allow President Donald Trump to send National Guard troops to the Chicago area, in a 6-3 decision that curbs the administration's efforts to use the military for domestic purposes. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, upholds a lower court's order blocking the deployment of hundreds of National Guard personnel to support immigration enforcement in Illinois.
The Justice Department had sought to lift the injunction while litigation continues, arguing that troops were needed to protect federal personnel and property from violent resistance. However, the Supreme Court majority found that the government had failed to identify a legal basis for deploying the military to execute laws in Illinois. The decision is a significant setback for Trump's immigration crackdown and his broader push to send troops to Democratic-led cities.
The case stems from protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, near Chicago. Last week, authorities arrested 21 protesters and reported four officers injured. Illinois state officials and local leaders had opposed the federalization of National Guard troops, arguing there was no evidence of a rebellion or obstruction to immigration enforcement.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch dissented, with Alito and Thomas stating the court had no basis to reject the administration's claims. The order is not a final ruling but may influence other lawsuits challenging similar deployments, including in Washington DC, Oregon, and Tennessee.
