Supreme Court rules against TRUMP, bars National Guard deployment in Chicago

Thursday, December 25, 2025 - In a significant legal setback for President Donald Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against allowing the federal government to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area for immigration enforcement. 

The Court upheld a lower court decision blocking the move, stating the administration failed to show it had the legal authority to federalize the Guard under the statute it cited. The ruling keeps an injunction in place and limits the federal government’s ability to use military forces in civilian law enforcement without clear justification.

The decision, issued on the Court’s emergency docket, focused on the interpretation of federal law governing domestic troop deployments. Justices concluded the statute requires proof that regular military forces are unable to enforce federal law before the National Guard can be federalized. 

That threshold was not met in this case. A minority of justices dissented, arguing the Court should have deferred to the executive branch’s judgment on national enforcement priorities.

Illinois and Chicago officials welcomed the ruling as a firm defense of state authority and constitutional limits on executive power. The decision adds pressure to ongoing legal disputes over federal attempts to use military or Guard forces in U.S. cities. 

While the administration signaled it would continue pursuing its policy goals through other means, the ruling stands as a clear rebuke and sets a powerful precedent for future challenges involving domestic military deployments.