President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is removing National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, following a major setback at the Supreme Court.
“We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again — Only a question of time!” Trump said on Truth Social.
The Supreme Court last week declined an emergency request from the Trump administration that said the troops were necessary to protect federal agents working in Chicago to enforce immigration policies.
In an unsigned order, the court rejected the administration's claim that circumstances on the ground in Illinois met the criteria for the president to invoke a federal law allowing him to call up the National Guard to federal service.
“At this preliminary stage, the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois,” the court ruled.
The decision involved only Chicago, but it was likely to strengthen other challenges to National Guard deployments. It does not affect the District of Columbia, where troops have also been deployed, as it is a federal district, not a state.
A spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom — a Democrat — said in an email Wednesday: "We won in court and forced him to. Trump’s rambling here is the political version of 'you can’t fire me, I quit.'"
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, also a Democrat, said on X that "Donald Trump's lying again."
"He lost in court when Illinois stood up against his attempt to militarize American cities with the National Guard. Now Trump is forced to stand down," Pritzker said.
Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon said in an emailed statement that "my office has not yet received official notification that the remaining federalized Oregon National Guard troops can return home."
"They were never lawfully deployed to Portland and there was no need for their presence," Kotek said. "If President Trump has finally chosen to follow court orders and demobilize our troops, that’s a big win for Oregonians and for the rule of law."
Trump initially deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June following upheaval between anti-immigration raid protesters and law enforcement. Then, in October, 500 National Guard troops arrived in the Chicago area. The same month, the Trump administration activated 200 troops for Portland.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday directed the Trump administration to return control of the California National Guard to Newsom, lifting a pause it put in place earlier this month on the issue.
Trump has used National Guard deployment as a political cudgel, sending troops to areas governed by Democrats. In early December, The Associated Press reported that Trump said the National Guard would go to New Orleans.
On Dec. 22, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “authorized the activation of up to 350 Louisiana National Guard members” who will be under the command of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry through Feb. 28, Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
"These National Guard troops will support federal law enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, as they enforce federal law and counter high rates of violent crime in New Orleans and other metropolitan areas in Louisiana," Parnell said.
Additionally, more than 2,400 National Guard members from 10 states and Washington, D.C.'s National Guard remain on the streets of the nation's capital as a result of a monthslong deployment by the Trump administration.
