"He said it was necessary as part of a broader crackdown on immigration, crime and protests. The president has made a crackdown on crime in cities a centerpiece of his second term - and has toyed with the idea of invoking the Insurrection Act to stop his opponents from using the courts to block his plans. He has said he sees his tough-on-crime approach as a winning political issue ahead of next year's midterm elections."
"In his post, Trump said the troops' presence was responsible for a drop in crime in the three cities, though they were never on the streets in Chicago and Portland as legal challenges played out. When the Chicago deployment was challenged in court, a Justice Department lawyer said the Guard's mission would be to protect federal properties and government agents in the field, not "solving all of crime in Chicago.""
The plan to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland has been paused after legal roadblocks blocked deployments. Governors typically control state National Guards, and several state and local leaders opposed deployments; courts prevented troops from joining street patrols in Chicago and Portland. Troops previously left Los Angeles following an earlier deployment. Federal officials framed the deployments as part of a broader crackdown on immigration, crime, and protests and considered invoking the Insurrection Act to override legal barriers. Local officials attributed crime reductions to police and public safety programs; Chicago reported 416 homicides in 2025, the fewest since 2014.
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