Supreme Court Blocks Trump From Deploying National Guard In Chicago

In a surprising turn, the Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard to Chicago. 

According to The New York Times, the unsigned ruling cited an 1878 law that bans the use of the military for domestic policing as the reason they refused to grant Trump broad authority to deploy the military on American soil. 

The court found that the Trump administration didn’t successfully argue that the statute “permits the president to federalize the Guard in the exercise of inherent authority to protect federal personnel and property in Illinois.” The Supreme Court has sided chiefly with Trump in his unprecedented efforts to expand the scope of presidential power. 

The preliminary injunction was issued in a 6-3 ruling, with justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., and Neil M. Gorsuch dissenting. In a lengthy dissent, Justice Alito wrote that “the protection of federal officers from potentially lethal attacks should not be thwarted.” 

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, cosigned with Alito’s dissent, saying in a statement, “He activated the National Guard to protect federal law enforcement officers and to ensure rioters did not destroy federal buildings and property. Nothing in today’s ruling detracts from that core agenda.” 

You know, I’m pretty sure federal law enforcement has been regularly doing its job without the assistance of the National Guard for at least the 33 years I’ve been alive. Maybe if the federal government properly vetted and trained Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, there wouldn’t be so much concern about their ability to protect themselves. 

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker released a statement celebrating the ruling. “This is an important step in curbing the Trump administration’s consistent abuse of power and slowing Trump’s march toward authoritarianism,” Pritzker’s statement read. “The brave men and women of our National Guard should never be used for political theater and deserve to be with their families and communities, especially during the holidays.”

Trump’s efforts to deploy the National Guard across American cities with Democrat leadership have continually faced legal pushback throughout the year. A federal judge blocked Trump from deploying the National Guard in Memphis and Portland, with federal judges also ruling that Trump must withdraw the National Guard from California and Washington, D.C.

The deployments have sapped morale among Guardsmen, with some forming a group chat where they’ve openly questioned the point of the deployments in the first place. 

Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, the consistent legal pushback, and the consistent drop in morale within the National Guard, The Guardian reports that Trump approved the deployment of 350 National Guardsmen to New Orleans ahead of the new year. Federal law enforcement already has a presence in New Orleans, with Border Patrol launching an immigration crackdown earlier this month. 

It remains to be seen if this deployment will face any legal pushback. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is a staunch Republican and a Trump loyalist who has been supportive of efforts to deploy the National Guard in New Orleans. “It’s going to help us further crack down on the violence here in the city of New Orleans and elsewhere around Louisiana,” Landry said in an appearance on The Will Cain Show on Fox News. “And so a big shoutout to both of them.”

New Orleans Mayor-elect Democrat Helena Moreno issued a statement in support of the National Guard deployment. “Like in past years, including last year, we appreciate the support provided by our federal and state public safety partners to increase the visibility of security assets during major events such as Carnival, New Year’s, and the Sugar Bowl,” Moreno said in a statement provided to USA Today. “I have been assured that the added support of the Louisiana National Guard to help secure these large events comes at no cost to the city and plays an important role in strengthening public safety.”

So while the New Orleans deployment looks like it will proceed without any legal pushback, the Supreme Court’s ruling may make it harder for Trump to continue deploying the National Guard in the new year. 

SEE ALSO:

Chicago Residents Don’t Want National Guard

Trump Floats Idea Of Deploying National Guard To New Orleans