The troops are heading home—at least for now.
US President Donald Trump says he is pulling National Guard forces out of several major cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles.
This comes after the Supreme Court clipped his authority to use troops for domestic policing.
Writing on Truth Social on New Year’s Eve, Trump warned this wasn’t the end.
“We will come back,” he said, “perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again.”
So what changed? A lot. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump did not have the legal power to deploy troops in Chicago for law enforcement.
Guard Control Dropped
Soon after, his administration quietly dropped court efforts to keep control of Guard units in Los Angeles.
Portland was also mentioned in Trump’s statement, though Washington DC troops remain in place.
Trump had argued the deployments were needed to fight crime and illegal immigration.
Critics weren’t convinced, calling it an “authoritarian” overreach into cities run by political rivals.
California Governor Gavin Newsom welcomed the retreat, calling it the end of an “illegal intimidation tactic.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson went further.
He said the ruling showed “there is at least another branch of government” willing to check presidential power.
For now, the uniforms are gone—but the constitutional debate is far from over.
