President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he's withdrawing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland but left the door open to sending federal forces "in a much different and stronger form."
His announcement comes after the US Supreme Court last weekrejected his requestto allow him to deploy the guard to Chicago to protect ICE agents as part of the administration's ongoing immigration crackdown.
"We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact," Trump wrote on Truth Social, arguing that those cities would be "gone if it weren't for the Federal Government stepping in."
He suggested the possibility of future deployments, writing, "We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again - Only a question of time!"
In blocking the guard deployment to Chicago, the Supreme Courtsuggestedthat a president's power to federalize the guard — which federal law allows when he can no longer execute the laws of the United States with "regular forces" — would not apply to protecting agents enforcing immigration laws.
While the ruling was a blow to his administration's efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, it appeared likely Trump could still invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy regular forces to Chicago and other cities.Invoking the 19th century law— a controversial move that Trump and his aides repeatedly teased during the 2024 campaign and early in the second term — would give him broad authority to evade restrictions on using the military domestically.
A separate National Guard deployment that Trump authorized in New Orleansbegan Tuesdayas part of a heavy security presence for New Year's celebrations a year afteran attack on revelerson Bourbon Street killed 14 people. And Trump gave no indication he is pulling back from using the National Guard in Washington, DC, where it is operating under a different federal law that was not at issue before the Supreme Court.
Trump's withdrawal announcement was welcomed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, who said in a statement the administration was using the guard as "political pawns" and blasted Trump as "a President desperate to be a king."
"While our rule of law remains under threat, our democratic institutions are holding," Bonta wrote. "My office is not backing down — and we're ready for whatever fights lie ahead."
Afederal judgehad previously ordered the return of control of the California National Guard to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, but that ruling had been paused while the administration appealed. The Trump administration said in court papers on Tuesday that it was no longer requesting a pause on that portion of the order.
On Wednesday, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the lower court order and directed the Trump administration to return control of the troops to Newsom.
"About time @realDonaldTrump admitted defeat," Newsom said in a post on X. "We've said it from day one: the federal takeover of California's National Guard is illegal."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, echoed similar sentiments in response to Trump's announcement.
"He lost in court when Illinois stood up against his attempt to militarize American cities with the National Guard," Pritzker said on social media. "Now Trump is forced to stand down."
This story has been updated with additional details.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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