The Trump administration on Friday asked the US supreme court to permit the deployment of national guard troops to Illinois, as the president pushes to expand the domestic use of the military in a growing number of Democratic-led cities.
In an emergency filing, the justice department urged the court to overturn a lower court ruling that halted the deployment of several hundred national guard troops to the Chicago area. The district judge had raised doubts about the administration’s justification for sending troops, questioning its explanation in light of local conditions.
A federal appeals court upheld the lower court’s decision on Thursday, keeping the deployment on hold while the legal challenge proceeds.
D John Sauer, the solicitor general representing the administration, wrote in the new filing that federal agents have repeatedly been “threatened and assaulted” in Chicago and the suburb of Broadview, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detention facility is located.
Trump has already sent national guard units to Chicago and Portland, following earlier deployments to Los Angeles, Memphis, and Washington DC. The president has argued that military intervention is needed to curb unrest and bolster immigration enforcement.
Trump and his supporters have portrayed these cities as dangerous and overwhelmed by violent demonstrations, framing the military’s role as essential to restoring order.
Democratic officials have pushed back sharply, saying the president’s claims are greatly exaggerated and politically motivated. They accuse Trump of misusing his authority to punish opponents.
Judges have also voiced skepticism about the administration’s depiction of events. Local leaders say protests over immigration enforcement have been mostly small and peaceful, contradicting Trump’s characterization of “war zone” conditions.
A recent report from the Guardian revealed that US military veterans increasingly face arrest and injury amid protests over Trump’s deportation campaign and his push to deploy national guard members to an increasing number of American cities.
At the center of the dispute is Trump’s use of a federal statute allowing the president to federalize the national guard only in cases of rebellion or when “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States”. The administration insists that the troops are necessary to protect federal property and officers from protesters.
Earlier this month, the administration federalized 300 members of the Illinois national guard and ordered additional Texas national guard troops into the state.
As local leaders condemned the move, Trump escalated his rhetoric, calling on 8 October for the arrest of Chicago’s mayor and the Illinois governor, both Democrats, accusing them of failing to safeguard immigration officers.
Illinois and Chicago jointly sued the administration to stop the deployment. On 9 October, district Judge April Perry, appointed by Joe Biden, issued a temporary injunction blocking the order.
Meanwhile in Chicago, at least 11 people were taken into custody outside the Broadview Ice detention center following heated confrontations between Illinois state police and protesters.
