A federal judge in Chicago has decided to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s plan to send hundreds of National Guard soldiers to Illinois. This move comes after a similar deployment was blocked in Portland, Oregon, five days earlier.
U.S. District Judge April Perry expressed concerns that allowing Guard troops in Illinois would escalate tensions further. The decision followed over two hours of arguments from both the U.S. government and the state of Illinois, which had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the deployment.
The judge indicated that a detailed written order would be released on Friday. On the day of the ruling, Guard soldiers were observed patrolling near a suburban Chicago immigration facility frequently targeted by protests.
Meanwhile, a federal appeals court panel in San Francisco seemed inclined to overturn the ruling that prevented Trump from deploying troops to Portland. This potential reversal could pave the way for soldiers to enter the city.
The outcomes of these legal battles hold significance for Trump’s efforts to deploy military personnel in U.S. cities against the objections of Democratic leaders. Government attorneys argued that the National Guard soldiers were necessary to safeguard federal officers and property from demonstrators.
Illinois and Oregon governors accused Trump of exaggerating the peaceful protests as violent to justify the deployments. Judge Perry expressed doubts about the government’s claims of violence at the Broadview, Illinois immigration facility, citing a separate ruling that restrained federal agents from using force to disperse crowds.
She criticized the behavior of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, attributing the protests to their actions. Perry’s order will be in effect until at least October 23, with the White House planning to appeal the decision.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker emphasized that Trump is not above the law and criticized the deployment of Guard soldiers in American cities. The ongoing legal battles underscore the debate over the president’s authority to deploy troops domestically.