Trump deploys National Guard to Chicago amid Oregon court block
President Trump has authorized the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard members to Chicago to protect federal officers amid claims of riots. In Oregon, a federal judge blocked the use of state troops in Portland, but 300 California National Guard personnel arrived anyway. Democratic governors strongly oppose the moves, with California's Gavin Newsom filing a lawsuit against the administration.
President Donald Trump authorized the federalization of 300 Illinois National Guard members on Saturday, deploying them to Chicago to safeguard federal property and officers from what the White House described as "ongoing violent riots and lawlessness." This follows Trump's repeated vows to send troops to Democratic-led cities to combat crime and support federal law enforcement, despite data showing violent crime rates declining in Chicago.
The deployment occurred against the wishes of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who posted on X: "The Trump Administration's Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will." Earlier that day, Border Patrol agents in Chicago shot a woman named Marimar Martinez after she allegedly rammed vehicles into federal agents; she was treated at a hospital and then taken into FBI custody, with no serious injuries to agents reported.
In Oregon, tensions escalated around protests outside a Portland ICE facility. U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, a Trump appointee, temporarily blocked the administration's plan to deploy 200 Oregon National Guard members, ruling that protests since July involved fewer than 30 people and were "largely sedate," and that local police could manage without military aid. Trump responded on Sunday, saying the judge "ought to be ashamed of themselves."
Despite the ruling, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that 300 California National Guard troops were en route to Oregon, with 101 arriving on Saturday. Newsom, a Democrat, stated this circumvents the court order and declared he would sue the Trump administration, calling it a "breathtaking abuse of the law and power" and accusing Trump of using the military as "political pawns." Oregon Governor Tina Kotek echoed concerns, noting the action appears intentional to bypass the judge's decision. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield added that Trump is "hellbent on deploying the military" without proper authority. The White House dismissed the lawsuit as "political theater," insisting Trump acted within his lawful powers.
This builds on prior deployments to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., with Trump signaling intentions for Memphis, Baltimore, and New Orleans.