National Guard Troops Withdraw From Chicago and Portland Following Legal Challenges to Trump's Deployment Orders

Members of the National Guard patrol in Memphis, Tennessee (File)

National Guard troops deployed to Chicago and Portland have commenced withdrawal on Sunday, according to US media reports, following legal challenges to President Donald Trump's deployment orders.

President Trump, representing the Republican party, dispatched military forces from Texas and California to these Democrat-governed cities in early October as part of his immigration enforcement strategy. The move was strongly criticized by local leadership as an excessive use of federal power.

Anonymous officials informed the New York Times that approximately 200 troops sent to each city from out-of-state were beginning to depart on Sunday. These forces never actively patrolled the streets due to ongoing court proceedings challenging their deployment.

Chicago will retain about 300 troops from Illinois' own National Guard, while Portland will maintain 100 members of Oregon's force.

US Northern Command released a statement Friday on their X platform indicating they would be "shifting and/or rightsizing" the National Guard presence in Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago, though specific details were not provided.

Trump's domestic deployment of National Guard troops represents an unusual use of these forces, which typically operate under state governors' authority. Guard members are primarily part-time service personnel who maintain civilian careers alongside their military duties.

National Guard units are commonly activated for domestic emergencies such as natural disaster response within US borders.

The cities of Portland and Chicago have emerged as contentious locations in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement campaign, following similar troop deployments to Los Angeles, Washington, and Memphis.

A federal judge ruled earlier this month that the Portland deployment was "unlawful" and permanently blocked the action, stating that the US Constitution does not grant such authority to the federal government.

Both a lower court and an appeals court issued rulings in October prohibiting National Guard deployment in Chicago, America's third-largest city. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing this case.