Supreme Court stops Trump's National Guard plan for Chicago!

Supreme Court stops Trump's National Guard plan for Chicago!

The U.S. Supreme Court on December 23, 2025 halted President Donald Trump's plans to send National Guard troops to Chicago. This came as the justices refused to lift a lower court's injunction blocking the deployment of the National Guard in the city. The decision represents a rare defeat for the government, especially before a majority-conservative Supreme Court that has often ruled in favor of the government in the past.

The US government, led by Trump, argues that sending troops to cities like Chicago, Portland or Los Angeles is necessary to protect federal property and personnel. Trump and his allies describe these cities as lawless and affected by violent protests. In the current political debate, however, Democratic mayors and governors reject these portrayals as exaggerated and a pretext for abuse of power. Federal Judge April Perry had already ruled on October 9th that the allegations of violence at the protests were inconclusive and that there was no evidence of riots.

The deployment of the National Guard

The National Guard, which consists of approximately 325,000 Army National Guard members and 105,000 Air National Guard soldiers, exists parallel to, but is not part of, the U.S. Army. Its roots date back to 1636 and it is used to combat natural disasters and civil unrest. Normally, control and command of the National Guard rests with the states, while the president can take over during war or national emergencies. The last significant deployment of the National Guard came in 2020 during protests following the death of George Floyd.

There are currently around 4,000 National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles to protect federal property there. This mobilization was heavily criticized by Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom. Trump is also considering possible deployments of the National Guard in other cities. The president is using a law that allows him to deploy the National Guard to quell an insurrection, but has not invoked the Insurrection Act, which allows the military to be used in riots.

Political controversies and the legal framework

The mobilization of National Guard troops against the wishes of governors is unusual and brings back memories of the last similar case during the civil rights movement under President Lyndon B. Johnson in Alabama. Democracy leaders call this mobilization an “alarming abuse of power,” while the Trump administration claims it needs to maintain security and order in the affected cities.

Current events highlight the tensions between the federal government and Democratic-led states, as well as the legal and political challenges associated with the deployment of the National Guard. The outcome of these debates could have far-reaching implications for the future use of military forces domestically.