Overview
- Justice Department attorney Christopher Edelman told the court the agency has authorization to negotiate a settlement and asked for a short stay to finalize terms.
- Judge April Perry directed both sides to file a status update by Jan. 28 and set another status hearing for Jan. 30.
- A temporary restraining order blocking the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois remains in effect as negotiations proceed.
- The Supreme Court on Dec. 23 denied the administration’s bid to allow deployment during the litigation, saying the government had not shown a legal basis to federalize the Guard, with three justices dissenting.
- Guard units tied to the operation have been largely demobilized, with about 195 Illinois troops completing out‑processing at Fort Bragg last week; state lawyers argue the high court’s order effectively shows the deployment was unlawful, and Trump later posted that he was removing the Guard while warning they could return.