Trump Announces National Guard Withdrawal from Major Cities, hints at Future Federal intervention
The withdrawal of national Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles, and portland will proceed, despite claims of reduced crime, US President donald Trump announced on Wednesday, while together suggesting the possibility of deploying federal forces in a more assertive manner.
The decision follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that blocked Trump’s attempt to deploy the National guard in Chicago to provide protection for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents engaged in immigration enforcement efforts.
“We will withdraw the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, even though CRIME has been greatly reduced thanks to the presence of these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY because of that fact,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. he further asserted that these cities “would disappear if not for the intervention of the Federal government.”
The President indicated a willingness to revisit federal deployments should crime rates increase, stating, “We will be back, perhaps in a much more different and stronger way, when crime spikes again. It’s just a matter of time.”
The Supreme Court’s decision hinged on the interpretation of the President’s authority to federalize the national Guard. The court indicated that this power – which allows for federal control of state guard units when “regular forces” are insufficient to enforce U.S. laws – does not extend to protecting agents enforcing immigration regulations.
While this ruling represents a setback for the administration’s efforts to intensify immigration enforcement, legal experts suggest Trump may still have the option of invoking the Insurrection Act. This 19th-century law, repeatedly alluded to by Trump and his advisors during the 2024 campaign and the beginning of his second term, would grant him broad authority to deploy regular military forces domestically, circumventing existing restrictions.
The declaration was met with approval from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, who criticized the prior deployment as a politically motivated maneuver. “The government was using the guard as political pawns,” Bonta stated, adding that Trump was acting “a president desperate to be king.”
Bonta affirmed his commitment to defending the rule of law, declaring, “While our rule of law remains under threat, our democratic institutions remain strong. My office will not back down, and we are ready for any fight that comes.”
This situation underscores the ongoing tension between federal authority and states’ rights, and raises questions about the future of federal intervention in local law enforcement.
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Here’s a breakdown answering the “Why, Who, What, and How” questions, integrated into a substantive news report format:
Why: President Trump ordered the withdrawal of National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland following a Supreme Court ruling limiting his authority to deploy them for immigration enforcement. He simultaneously hinted at potential future, more forceful federal intervention if crime rates rise.
Who: Key players include President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court, California attorney General Rob Bonta, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The cities affected are Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland.
What: The core event is the withdrawal of National Guard troops from three major cities. This follows a legal challenge to Trump’s deployment of the Guard to protect ICE agents
