Trump says he is withdrawing National Guard troops from some US cities

December 31, 2025

President Trump announced he is withdrawing National Guard troops from several Democratic-led cities including Chicago and Los Angeles following a Supreme Court decision that limited his authority to deploy military forces for domestic law enforcement purposes. The Supreme Court ruled in Trump v Illinois that the president lacked the power to send troops into Chicago, prompting the administration to also abandon legal efforts to maintain troop control in California. While hundreds of troops had been deployed to cities like Chicago and Portland, they had not yet begun street patrols due to ongoing legal challenges from state and local officials who argued the deployments were unnecessary and authoritarian.

Who is affected

President Donald Trump and his administration
National Guard troops deployed to multiple cities
Residents of Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon
State governors (particularly California Governor Gavin Newsom)
Local officials (particularly Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson)
Washington DC residents (where troops remain on patrol)

What action is being taken

President Trump is withdrawing National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland
The Trump administration withdrew its legal motion in California seeking to keep troops under Trump's control
National Guard troops remain on patrol in Washington DC

Why it matters

This represents a significant check on presidential power by the Supreme Court, reaffirming that military deployment for domestic law enforcement requires proper legal authority and cannot be unilaterally imposed on states by the president. The decision protects the traditional authority of state governors over National Guard troops and prevents what critics characterized as authoritarian federal overreach into local law enforcement matters, thereby preserving constitutional boundaries between federal and state powers.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC