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Courts Block Portland and Chicago Plans as Guard Missions Continue in D.C., Los Angeles and Memphis

Polls show most Americans favor using troops only for external threats.

Overview

  • A federal court order on Oct. 9 halted a planned Chicago-area mobilization, and judges also stopped proposed deployments to Portland from Oregon, California and Texas.
  • In Memphis, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee activated Guard personnel for city patrols, saying he does not expect the contingent to exceed about 150.
  • Washington, D.C. has relied on roughly 2,300 Guard troops, including about 800 from the district and hundreds more sent from Republican-led states such as Georgia, West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Louisiana and South Dakota, with several planning withdrawals later in October and November.
  • The push began in June when President Trump sent about 4,000 Guard members to Los Angeles over protests tied to immigration enforcement, and roughly 300 reportedly remained on duty there in early September despite Governor Gavin Newsom’s opposition.
  • Critics and some reporters say the deployments have blurred lines between crime patrols and immigration enforcement, even as Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry seeks activation of 1,000 Guard troops for urban areas in his state.