In a significant shift, hundreds of National Guard troops deployed to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, are being sent home, with those remaining continuing to stay off the streets amid ongoing court challenges over their deployments by the Trump administration.
The restructuring of military personnel—stemming from those enlisted in California and Texas—follows President Trump's recent immigration initiatives targeting cities with Democratic leadership. Although the U.S. Northern Command officials describe the withdrawal as part of a 'rightsizing' strategy, they assure that there will be a constant and long-term military presence across the affected cities.
In the coming days, around 200 California National Guard troops currently in Oregon will return home, while 100 will remain in the Portland area for training. The number of Oregon National Guard troops will also be reduced from 200 to 100. Likewise, about 200 Texas National Guard members in Chicago will be sent back, with an additional 200 on standby at Fort Bliss.
About 300 Illinois National Guard troops will remain in the Chicago area for training, but they are not currently authorized to conduct operations with the Department of Homeland Security. This deployment reduction coincides with the start of the holiday season, which may have influenced the decision.
Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom, criticized the initial deployment as illegal, stating she is relieved that the troops are coming home, referring to it as 'long overdue.'
The military presence in these Democratic cities has universally been met with criticism, especially as legal challenges cite violations of state sovereignty. For instance, Chicago has filed a separate lawsuit concerning unauthorized military involvement. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut recently issued an injunction against deploying troops in Portland after ruling the administration did not have a legitimate basis for such actions. Trump's team is currently seeking to appeal this ruling.
Troop deployments under Trump's administration have emerged as a touchpoint of controversy, marked by a greater willingness to utilize the military for domestic objectives, including law enforcement duties during protests. Amid these changes, some contingents remain deployed in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., where they are tasked with safeguarding federal facilities although they do not engage in direct law enforcement operations.
