Military Disputes: The National Guard's Role Amid Court Battles

Thu Oct 23 2025 16:43:35 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As President Trump seeks to deploy the National Guard in various Democratic-led cities, legal challenges continue to unfold in courts across the U.S., raising questions about executive power and civil rights.

President Trump's efforts to send the National Guard to cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have ignited a flurry of court challenges. The Supreme Court is reviewing these deployments, while implications of federal laws like the Posse Comitatus Act are under scrutiny. As legal battles develop, Democratic leaders are fighting back to protect local governance amidst claims of executive overreach.

CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump’s attempts to deploy the military in Democratic-led cities — over the objections of mayors and governors — has brought a head-spinning array of court challenges and overlapping rulings.

As the U.S. Supreme Court ponders whether to clear the way for the National Guard in Chicago, a federal appeals court is hearing arguments in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s challenge to the deployment of troops in Los Angeles.

In Chicago, deployment of the National Guard has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge, and discussions about extending this block are underway. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court may decide to intervene, highlighting the conflict between state and federal powers.

In Portland, Oregon, Trump’s National Guard command remains tangled in legal debate. Although an appeals court indicated he could command 200 troops, a standing order prevents their actual deployment.

In California, a panel of judges will hear arguments about Trump sending the National Guard to Los Angeles, where a district court ruled he violated federal law by doing so. The implications of these legal battles could reshape military involvement in domestic issues, igniting conversation around executive authority and local governance.

As cities brace for potential Guard deployments, ongoing legal initiatives aim to bring accountability and perhaps halt these actions that many view as an overreach of presidential power.