Trump Withdraws National Guard From Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland — Warns Federal Forces Could Return “Stronger”

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the federal government will withdraw National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, while leaving open the possibility of deploying federal forces "in a much different and stronger form" if crime rises again.

“We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding: “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again - Only a question of time!”

Court Rulings and Legal Context

The announcement follows a setback in the courts: the U.S. Supreme Court last week declined the administration’s request to federalize the Illinois National Guard in Chicago to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as part of its immigration-enforcement strategy. In blocking that deployment, the Court indicated a president’s authority to federalize state Guard units under federal law likely does not extend to protecting officers enforcing immigration laws.

Legal analysts say the administration may still consider other options, including invoking the Insurrection Act — a 19th-century statute that can grant a president broader authority to deploy regular military forces domestically. That option is controversial and would circumvent some limits on using the military for domestic law enforcement.

Separate Deployments and Federal Authority

Separately, the administration authorized a National Guard deployment in New Orleans that began Tuesday to bolster security for New Year’s celebrations. That deployment comes a year after a Bourbon Street attack that killed 14 people. Trump also gave no indication he plans to withdraw Guard troops from Washington, D.C., where they are operating under a different federal statute not addressed by the Supreme Court decision.

Reactions From State Officials

California Attorney General Rob Bonta welcomed the withdrawal, accusing the administration of using the Guard as "political pawns" and calling Trump "a President desperate to be a king." He said California would continue to defend its authority.

A federal judge had earlier ordered the return of control of the California National Guard to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom; that order was temporarily paused while the administration appealed. On Tuesday, the administration told the court it was no longer seeking a pause on that portion of the order. On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court decision and directed the administration to restore state control of the Guard to Newsom.

Gov. Newsom posted on X: “About time @realDonaldTrump admitted defeat. We’ve said it from day one: the federal takeover of California’s National Guard is illegal.” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker similarly said the administration had lost in court when Illinois opposed what he described as an attempt to "militarize American cities" with the Guard.

This dispute highlights both a legal battle over federal authority and a political confrontation over the use of military-style forces in U.S. cities.

This story was updated with additional details. The Associated Press contributed to this report.