USA National Guard: Setback for Trump before Supreme Court
US President Donald Trump has suffered a defeat before the Supreme Court over his plans to deploy the National Guard in Chicago.
23.12.2025, 23:56
SDA
The US Supreme Court rejected an emergency application by the Republican. The President actually wanted to have the decision of a lower court suspended, which had prohibited the deployment of soldiers in the state of Illinois and therefore in Chicago for the time being.
Normally, the states in the USA have control over the National Guard, which is a military reserve unit and part of the US armed forces. Special rules apply to the capital Washington, which is not legally a separate state. The National Guard can be deployed in the event of natural disasters, unrest or domestic emergencies, for example. In certain situations, the US President can take command - for example, if a rebellion against the authority of the government is imminent or underway.
Why Trump deployed the National Guard
Since the summer, Trump has ordered the deployment in several cities - in most cases against the will of the cities and states. It started in Los Angeles in the summer because there had been protests against raids by the immigration authority ICE against migrants. National Guardsmen have also been deployed in the US capital Washington for months.
The US President had also repeatedly mentioned Chicago as a possible location - where there were also protests against ICE raids. In October, Trump called up hundreds of National Guardsmen to serve in the region, and soldiers also arrived from Texas in the state of Illinois, where Chicago is located.
The Democratically governed Midwestern city of millions became a symbol of resistance to Trump's actions. City leaders and the state fought back vehemently and went to court. A federal court in Chicago initially stopped such an operation. The US government then turned to an appeals court, but this also initially did not allow the deployment of soldiers. Trump therefore hoped for the Supreme Court.
