The Trump administration’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Democrat-led cities have prompted a legal showdown between the White House and state and local officials.
Illinois and Chicago sued the administration on Monday, asking a federal court to halt the federalization of National Guard troops from that state and Texas, calling the move “patently unlawful.” Trump had authorized 300 Illinois guard members to go to Chicago to “protect federal officers and assets.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also volunteered 400 of his state’s troops for deployment at Trump’s discretion.
On Sunday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the deployment of National Guard members to Portland, Oregon, for the second time. The decision came after the Trump administration tried to circumvent the original order by deploying troops from the California National Guard to Portland on Sunday, which led to the state of California joining the lawsuit.
Trump said Monday that he was considering invoking the Insurrection Act if courts kept blocking his deployments, saying he thinks protests in Portland are “really criminal insurrection.”
