A federal judge in Chicago announced on Thursday a temporary halt to President Donald Trump’s plan to dispatch hundreds of National Guard soldiers to Illinois. This decision came shortly after a similar deployment in Portland, Oregon, was blocked by another judge five days earlier.
During a two-hour hearing, U.S. District Judge April Perry expressed concerns that introducing Guard troops in Illinois could exacerbate tensions, following a legal battle between the U.S. government and Illinois state over the deployment. The judge stated that her detailed written order would be released on Friday.
On the same day, National Guard soldiers were observed patrolling a suburban Chicago immigration facility that has been a focal point for protests recently. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court in San Francisco seemed inclined to overturn the ruling against Trump’s deployment in Portland, potentially paving the way for troops to enter the city.
The outcomes of these cases could have significant implications for Trump’s strategy to deploy military personnel in U.S. cities, despite objections from Democratic leaders. Government attorneys argued that the Guard soldiers were essential to safeguard federal officers and property from demonstrators, a claim disputed by the Democratic governors of Illinois and Oregon.
Judge Perry cited a separate ruling in Chicago that temporarily restricted federal agents from using force to disperse crowds at the immigration facility. She emphasized that the protests were in response to the behavior of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and that deploying Guard soldiers would only escalate the situation.
The judge’s order will remain in effect until at least October 23. The White House announced plans to appeal the decision, with a spokesperson affirming Trump’s commitment to addressing lawlessness in U.S. cities. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized Trump’s actions, emphasizing that there was no credible evidence of rebellion in the state.
In a separate proceeding in San Francisco, an Oregon assistant attorney general contested Trump’s portrayal of Portland as being engulfed in violence, describing the claims as detached from reality. The judges deliberated on the necessity of troops based on current circumstances versus past protests that disrupted ICE operations in Portland.
The National Guard, a component of the military, typically responds to domestic events under the authority of state governors. While a president can deploy the Guard in certain situations, Trump’s actions have raised legal questions regarding the limits of his authority in sending troops to cities under opposition control.
Trump reiterated his intention to expand troop deployments to combat perceived violence, mentioning plans for Chicago and other cities. He underscored the government’s resolve to confront left-wing domestic terrorism, including groups like antifa, through the deployment of military forces. A court ruling in Los Angeles challenged the legality of Trump’s summer deployment of Guard troops, prompting an appeal from his administration.
