Another blow for Donald Trump, at the end of an already complicated weekend. Hundreds of American National Guard troops deployed in Chicago and Portland began withdrawing on Sunday, November 17 according to American media, after their deployment by the Trump administration was challenged in court.
Since June, Republican President Donald Trump has sent the National Guard to several Democratic cities, including Los Angeles and Washington – consistently against the advice of local authorities. He specifically justified the deployment of this army reserve corps because he considered it an increase in crime.
According to New York Times, Defense Ministry officials announced the withdrawal of a total of 400 troops, or 200 troops in each city. These troops, from California and Texas, are not on the streets due to court challenges.
The National Guard remains present in both cities. About 300 Illinois National Guard members remain mobilized in Chicago and 100 Oregon troops in Portland. North American Command, which oversees military operations in North America, said Friday in X that that would happen “will modify or resize” impact of the National Guard “in Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago”, without further precision.
The US President’s decision to deploy the National Guard is unusual, as these troops are usually controlled by the governors of each state. They are mobilized if an emergency occurs on American soil, for example if a natural disaster occurs.
In the cities where they have been deployed so far, the National Guard has been primarily used to protect federal buildings and immigration officials during their raids. But the Americans abandoned concerns that these soldiers would be used for law enforcement missions, and were used directly against the population.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that deploying troops to Portland was legal “wild” and issued a permanent ban on such actions, stating that the US Constitution does not grant such authority to the federal government. In October, the trial court and an appeals court also blocked the use of the National Guard in Chicago, the third largest city in the United States. The US Supreme Court is currently reviewing the case.
