Overview
- An unsigned Supreme Court order on Dec. 23 refused the administration’s emergency bid to deploy troops in Illinois, saying the government had not shown authority to have the military execute the laws, with Justices Alito, Thomas and Gorsuch dissenting and Justice Kavanaugh concurring.
- In California, a federal judge ordered the Los Angeles deployment ended and control returned to Gov. Gavin Newsom, and the Justice Department has now dropped its effort to keep those Guard units under federal control.
- Associated Press reporting says troops had already left Los Angeles, and forces sent toward Chicago and Portland never patrolled city streets while legal challenges proceeded.
- Trump said the Guard could return “in a much different and stronger form” if crime rises, and he has previously floated invoking the Insurrection Act.
- Separate deployments continue elsewhere, including more than 2,000 Guard members in Washington, D.C., and about 350 approved for New Orleans over the holidays, as litigation and appeals over other missions remain active.