The Pentagon is sending home 200 California Guard members from Oregon and 200 Texas Guard members from Illinois in the coming days, scaling back deployments that have largely been sidelined by court orders.
Defense officials said the out-of-state withdrawals follow weeks of legal challenges that kept the federally controlled troops off city streets. The drawdown—first reported by ABC News and confirmed to NPR—will return 200 California National Guard personnel from Oregon and 200 Texas Guard members from Illinois to their home states. (news.wfsu.org)
U.S. Northern Command signaled the shift Friday night, posting on X that it would be “shifting and/or rightsizing” its footprint in Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago while maintaining a “constant, enduring, and long-term presence” in each city. (reuters.com)
Officials said the troops never conducted street operations because of ongoing litigation. In Oregon, U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut on Nov. 7 issued a final order barring a National Guard deployment to Portland; the Trump administration appealed the ruling on Nov. 14. In Illinois, federal courts have kept Guard deployments in the Chicago area on hold while the administration seeks emergency relief. (washingtonpost.com)
The Pentagon plans to keep some in-state forces activated. About 300 Illinois National Guard members will remain in the Chicago area for training and are not permitted to conduct operations with the Department of Homeland Security. In Oregon, the number of Oregon National Guard troops on duty will be reduced from about 200 to 100. (apnews.com)
A defense official also told NPR that the holiday season may have factored into the timing of the withdrawals. According to the same NPR report, the adjustments were first reported by ABC News. (wbaa.org)
Governors and local leaders in Oregon and Illinois have criticized the federal deployments as unnecessary and an overreach, while the administration has argued they are needed to protect federal personnel and facilities. (apnews.com)
Separately, the legal fight continues. The administration’s appeal of the Portland ruling is now before the Ninth Circuit, and the Supreme Court is considering the administration’s emergency bid to permit deployments in the Chicago area. (abcnews.go.com)
In recent months, the administration expanded National Guard activations in several cities, though legal and political pushback has limited their role. Northern Command says it still expects to maintain a presence in key locations despite the scale-back. (reuters.com)
