USA National Guard in Chicago: Trump turns to Supreme Court
In the legal dispute over the deployment of the US National Guard in Chicago and the surrounding area, the government of Republican President Donald Trump is appealing to the Supreme Court.
18.10.2025, 01:11
18.10.2025, 01:12
SDA
It is asking the US Supreme Court to suspend the decision of a lower court, which has prohibited the deployment of soldiers in the state of Illinois for the time being. The Democratic-ruled state in the Midwest and the city of Chicago, which is home to millions of inhabitants, had filed a lawsuit against the US government's plan to deploy National Guard soldiers in the region against their will.
A federal court in Chicago initially halted such a deployment for two weeks last week. The US government then turned to an appeals court, but this also initially did not allow the deployment of soldiers. It is now hoping for success before the highest US court. During his first term in office, Trump had the opportunity to fill three new judgeships due to two deaths and one resignation. The Supreme Court slid far to the right as a result.
National Guardsmen have already been deployed in a Chicago suburb
The dispute over the deployment of soldiers in Chicago, where people have been protesting against ICE raids for weeks, recently came to a boil: the US government had placed National Guardsmen from Illinois under federal control. They were supposed to protect federal officials - for example from ICE - and federal property. National Guardsmen from Texas also came to Illinois.
Before the federal court blocked a deployment of the soldiers, they were already seen last week on the grounds of an ICE facility in a Chicago suburb. This has been the scene of protests for weeks against the ICE agency, which is known for raids against migrants with officers, some of whom are masked.
Judge saw no evidence of rebellion in Illinois
In the USA, the states normally have control over the National Guard, which is a military reserve unit and part of the US armed forces. It can be deployed in the event of natural disasters, unrest or domestic emergencies. In certain situations, the US President can take command - for example, if a rebellion against the authority of the government is imminent or underway.
According to media reports, a lower court judge in Chicago said in court last week that she had not been presented with any credible evidence that an alleged rebellion had taken place in Illinois. Critics accuse the Republican US President Trump of trying to intimidate political opponents by deploying the National Guard in Democratically governed cities and regions.
