Court rules Trump can't deploy Guard in Illinois
Troops already there can stay, however
By: Edurado Cuevas
USA Today
..... A federal appeals court on October 11 [2025] said the Trump administration cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois.
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But the brief ruling by the court of appeals for the 7th Circuit, located in Chicago, said President Donald Trump can still federalize the National Guard. The ruling said troops already deployed don't need to return home for now.
..... The appellate ruling largely upholds an October 9 [2025] temporary restraining order by a federal district judge in the Northern District of Illinois that prevented the administration from deploying troops in the state. In her opinion, U.S. District Judge April Perry wrote the National Guard deployment "is likely to lead to civil unrest."
..... The Chicago area has been at the center of the administration's sweeping immigration crackdown, dubbed Operation Midway Blitz. Protests have erupted in response, particularly in front of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the suburb of Broadview.
..... The administration had deployed National Guard troops form Illinois and Texas in response to what it described as violent clashes between protesters and agents in the Midwestern state and Chicago, the nation's third-largest city. Lola and state officials said the federal government is exaggerating facts on the ground.
...... The state of Illinois and city of Chicago sued the Trump administration to halt the deployment of troops to the Democrat-led city and state. Justice Department lawyers appealed Perry's ruling October 10. [2025] Spokespeople for both Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Bandon Johnson didn't immediately respond to email request for comment. The white House didn't immediately respond to an email request.
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Trump has also sent National Guard to other heavily Democratic cities, against local officials' wishes. In Memphis , Tennessee National Guard began patrolling the city on October 10, [2025] city officials announced. Republican state officials welcomed the administration's action.
..... Elsewhere Portland, Oregon; Washington; and Los Angeles have seen federal troops sent by the GOP administration. judges in California and Oregon have found deployments illegal and unwarranted.
..... A separate federal judge in Oregon has also blocked Trump's effort to send troops to Portland, though another appellate court appeared poised to over rule that decisions during arguments last week, [10/03/2025] Reuters reported. In both cases, Democratic governors of the states sued Trump, arguing the administration deliberately miscast mostly peaceful demonstrations as violent to justify further deployments.
..... Perry's order is set to remain in effect until at least October 23, [205] though she could extend it.
..... Contributing: Christopher Cann and Michael Loria, USA Today; Reuters