The justices said the administration did not show it had clear legal power to use the National Guard for law enforcement|@USNationalGuard|X
The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to the Chicago area, delivering a setback to his immigration enforcement push.
In a 6-3 order, the court said a President can federalize the National Guard only in exceptional circumstances and found no clear authority to do so in Illinois at this stage. The justices said the administration did not show it had clear legal power to use the Guard for law enforcement.
The ruling leaves in place a lower court’s decision blocking the deployment of hundreds of Guard members. A federal judge earlier said protests in Chicago did not amount to a rebellion or threat of rebellion.
The Trump administration argued the troops were needed to protect federal immigration agents and control unrest in Democratic-led cities, including Chicago, Portland, and New Orleans.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker welcomed the ruling, calling it an important check on federal overreach. The case adds to a series of legal challenges limiting similar Guard deployments nationwide.