US Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Bid to Deploy National Guard in Chicago
The United States Supreme Court has rejected an effort by the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area, siding with local and state officials who opposed the move.
In an unsigned order issued on Tuesday, the court said the president’s authority to federalise the National Guard is likely limited to “exceptional” circumstances.
The ruling leaves in place a lower court decision that barred the deployment of hundreds of Guard personnel in Illinois.
The National Guard is primarily made up of state-based forces typically mobilised for emergencies such as natural disasters or large-scale unrest.
The decision marks a rare setback for the Trump administration at the conservative-majority court, which has largely ruled in its favour in recent months. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker welcomed the outcome, describing it as “a big win for Illinois and American democracy.”
The White House had not issued an immediate response at the time of publication.
The proposed Chicago deployment was part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to send troops to several predominantly Democratic-led cities, including New Orleans, Portland and Washington, DC, amid protests against federal immigration raids.
President Trump has argued that deploying troops is necessary to curb violence, combat crime in Democratic-controlled cities and support his deportation agenda. However, Illinois officials challenged the move in court, prompting a federal judge to block the deployment.
The lower court ruled that protests in the Chicago area did not amount to a “rebellion or danger of rebellion,” countering the administration’s justification. The president appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that his decision was not subject to judicial review, while the Justice Department sought permission to proceed with the deployment during ongoing litigation.
In a 6–3 decision, the Supreme Court declined those requests, stating that the government had failed to show legal authority for using the military to enforce laws in Illinois at this stage of the case. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented.
The ruling effectively maintains the status quo in Chicago and represents the first time the Supreme Court has directly ruled on the Trump administration’s use of troops in major US cities amid ongoing legal challenges.
