Pentagon to Withdraw National Guard Troops from Chicago and Portland Amid Legal Challenges

The Pentagon is set to withdraw approximately 400 National Guard troops from Chicago and Portland, Oregon, following legal challenges and objections from state and local leaders.

According to a U.S. defense official, 200 California National Guard members deployed to Portland and 200 Texas National Guard members sent to Chicago will return to their home states as early as Sunday.

The Trump administration had deployed these troops in early October to support federal law enforcement personnel and protect federal buildings. However, the troops did not engage in operations due to ongoing legal challenges.

The U.S. Northern Command indicated that adjustments to the federalized troop presence in Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago are imminent to ensure a constant, enduring, and long-term presence in each city.

State officials in Illinois reported no formal communication from the federal government regarding the troop withdrawal.

Legal challenges have played a significant role in this decision. A federal judge in Illinois issued a temporary restraining order last month blocking the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area. An appeals panel later upheld the lower-court judge’s decision, and the U.S. Supreme Court is now weighing the issue.

In Oregon, U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut previously ruled that the administration lacked the legal justification to deploy troops, as it failed to demonstrate a rebellion or an inability to enforce laws using regular means.

The Pentagon has not formally announced the impending withdrawals, but the military’s Northern Command indicated that changes to the federalized troop mission in these cities were imminent.