Post by : Saif Rahman

President Donald Trump has declared the withdrawal of National Guard troops from three key U.S. cities—Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. He cautioned, however, that federal troops might be redeployed if crime rates surge again.

In a social media update, Trump attributed a decline in crime rates in these cities to the presence of National Guard troops. He emphasized that should crime rise again, federal forces would return “in a much more significant and assertive capacity.”

The deployment of National Guard troops has sparked considerable debate since its inception. Local officials in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, along with Democratic lawmakers, have voiced strong opposition, arguing the troops were unwarranted and accusing the Trump administration of inflating crime statistics to justify their presence. Many local leaders viewed the deployment as an overreach of federal authority.

This move has faced substantial legal challenges, with courts ruling against the Trump administration multiple times, indicating that there was insufficient evidence to prove that National Guard troops were essential for protecting federal properties or personnel. Judges in lawsuits initiated by cities articulated that federal authority had been exceeded.

The announcement follows a significant legal setback for Trump. A federal appeals court mandated the return of numerous California National Guard troops to Governor Gavin Newsom's jurisdiction. Additionally, on December 23, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked Trump's order for deploying National Guard troops in Illinois, stating the president’s power to control state National Guard forces is limited to rare and extraordinary circumstances.

The Supreme Court observed that the federal government had not demonstrated legal grounds for militarily enforcing laws in Illinois, affecting the legal justifications for similar deployments in other states.

In response to Trump’s statement, local leaders quickly reacted. The office of Governor Gavin Newsom pointed out that the withdrawal was influenced more by legal constraints than by the president's decision alone. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office highlighted that the city recorded its lowest violent crime rates in over ten years during 2025, with incidents declining by more than 21% compared to the previous year.

Trump deployed National Guard troops in June during protests surrounding his stringent immigration policies and increased deportation efforts, expanding their presence in Washington, D.C., and exerting control over local law enforcement under the premise that crime was spiraling out of control. However, official crime statistics from various cities did not corroborate his claims.

While Trump maintains that deployments contributed to crime reduction, critics assert that local governance and judicial decisions have firmly opposed his methodology. This withdrawal adds another dimension to the ongoing discourse on the boundaries of presidential authority, public security, and the military's involvement in civilian affairs.

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