Illinois National Guard (ILNG)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (ZFJ) — The Supreme Court denied President Donald Trump’s emergency appeal to allow him federalize the Illinois National Guard (ILNG) and deploy soldiers to Chicago on Dec. 23, 2025. Trump has sought to deploy the National Guard to Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Chicago; Memphis, Tennessee; and Portland, Oregon. In the cases of D.C. and Memphis, he said such a deployment was necessary to stop rampant crime. In the cases of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, he said it was needed to protect federal immigration operations, which have encountered significant public backlash due to federal officers’ violent tactics.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 (ZFJ) — President Donald Trump’s attempt to deploy National Guard soldiers to Chicago has been blocked by the federal courts. Trump has had longstanding grievances with Chicago, labeling it a “sanctuary jurisdiction” due to Illinois state law prohibiting local and state law enforcement assistance in federal immigration operations. Following the deployment of National Guard soldiers to patrol Washington, D.C., Trump posted on Truth Social throughout August and September to criticize the handling of crime by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, an outspoken critic of the D.