Supreme Court rejects Trump’s bid to send National Guard to Chicago
The Supreme Court on Tuesday dealt a rare blow to President Donald Trump by rejecting his bid to overrule a lower court decision and allow the deployment of National Guard troops to the Chicago area over the objections of local and state leaders.
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the case in October after a District Court judge blocked the president’s plans to send troops to help crack down on immigrants. On Tuesday, the court rejected Trump’s request.
“Today is a great victory for Illinois and American democracy,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said. Publish on X.
“This is an important step in preventing the Trump Administration from continuing abuses of power and slowing Trump’s slide toward authoritarianism,” Pritzker continued.
U.S. presidents can deploy the National Guard under certain authorities, but guardsmen are generally not allowed to serve in civilian law enforcement. Trump’s attempts to send troops into mostly blue cities to fight crime have tested the limits of presidential authority and led to a series of lawsuits.
By quoting Law of Posse ComitatusIn accordance with the decision prohibiting the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement unless expressly permitted by the Constitution or Congress, the court ruled that Trump did not have the authority to send troops to Illinois in this case.
“At this preliminary stage, the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to enforce the law in Illinois,” the unsigned order says.
The decision is not final, but for now it prohibits the Trump administration from sending National Guard troops to Chicago.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch filed dissenting opinions. Justice Brett Kavanaugh also wrote a concurring opinion.
Trump has sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Portland in recent months despite objections from local leaders. Those deployments resulted in numerous lawsuits, including a legal challenge from Democrat and Trump-blocking California Gov. Gavin Newsom and local officials in D.C.
“The President has promised the American people that he will work tirelessly to enforce our immigration laws and protect federal personnel from violent insurgents,” White House press secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement Tuesday. he said.
“He mobilized the National Guard to protect federal law enforcement and ensure that rioters did not destroy federal buildings and property,” Jackson continued. “Nothing in today’s decision detracts from this core agenda. The administration will continue to work every day to protect the American people.”
