NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENTS

President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly deployed National Guard troops to American cities, raising concerns about militarization of law enforcement. Examples of this include:

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• Federalizing troops for Los Angeles (June 2025): In response to protests around federal immigration raids, Trump federalized over 2,000 members of the California National Guard and sent them into Los Angeles. Backed by some 700 U.S. Marines, these Guard units were tasked with protecting federal agents and property. California’s governor and local officials objected, insisting any unrest was minor and could be handled by police. A federal court later found that Guard troops in L.A. had effectively performed law enforcement duties illegally (violating the Posse Comitatus Act).
   

• Deploying the D.C. National Guard (August 2025): Citing a crime “emergency” in the nation’s capital, Trump invoked special authority on August 11 to activate the District of Columbia National Guard (800 troops) and even temporarily take over D.C.’s local police force. He also requested Guard units from at least 8 states. In total about 2,200 Guard personnel from across the country deployed in Washington, D.C. under federal direction. They were ostensibly there to “reestablish law and order,” patrolling streets and guarding landmarks. (Notably, D.C. is unique in that the president already directly controls its Guard even without state consent.) Local leaders pointed out that D.C.’s crime rate was actually down 26% from the prior year, questioning the need for this military-style intervention.
   

• Attempted deployments to Chicago and Portland (late 2025): President Trump ordered National Guard deployments to Chicago, Illinois and Portland, Oregon in response to what he called rampant crime and “lawlessness” at protests. In Chicago, he authorized about 300 Guard troops to assist federal agencies in the city. However, federal courts in both cities swiftly blocked the moves, finding that conditions did not warrant military force. In November, the Defense Department directed hundreds of Guard members who had been mobilized for Chicago and Portland to stand down and return to their home states after judges ruled the deployments unnecessary or unlawful. (In Portland, a judge noted that protests outside an ICE facility were largely peaceful, undermining the administration’s claims of a “rebellion”.)
   

• Threats of expanding to more cities: Throughout 2025, Trump has repeatedly threatened to send the National Guard into additional Democrat-led cities nationwide, though these have not (yet) moved beyond rhetoric. He suggested using troops in cities like San Francisco, Baltimore, New York City and others, often blaming Democratic mayors for crime and even musing about invoking the Insurrection Act to bypass opposition. For example, in October he vowed on Fox News, “We’re going to go to San Francisco… Our Democrat-run cities are unsafe… and I’m going to save the cities”. Such pronouncements have sparked political pushback, and no Guard deployments have been carried out in those cities to date (largely due to legal challenges and state resistance).