On December 31, 2025, President Donald Trump declared that his administration would pull National Guard troops out of Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, while warning that federal forces could return—potentially in greater numbers—if crime surges again.
In a post on social media, Trump credited the troops with significantly lowering crime rates in these cities, stating: “We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact.” He added, “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again—Only a question of time!”
Democratic leaders and local officials in the affected cities viewed the move as a forced retreat due to ongoing court battles. They have long argued that the deployments were unneeded, represented federal overreach, and relied on overstated claims of violence to justify military presence—often aimed at protecting federal assets amid protests over immigration enforcement.
A key blow came on December 23, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to overturn lower court rulings blocking the deployment in Illinois (affecting Chicago). The unsigned order noted that presidential authority to federalize the National Guard for law enforcement likely applies only in extraordinary cases, and the government had not shown sufficient grounds here.
Critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, dismissed Trump’s announcement as an attempt to save face, likening it to “the political version of ‘you can’t fire me, I quit.'”
Following the news, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office highlighted 2025 crime statistics on social media, noting the city experienced its lowest level of violent crime in over a decade, with a 21.3% drop compared to 2024.
The deployments began in June 2025 amid demonstrations against the administration’s aggressive immigration measures, including mass deportations. Trump, a Republican, maintained that troops were essential to combat crime and safeguard federal property and staff in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, Washington, D.C., and Memphis.
However, courts repeatedly found the administration exceeded its powers, with little proof that soldiers were required to secure federal sites from protesters. In recent months, military leaders had already begun reducing and winding down operations as legal hurdles mounted. (Agency Report)
