1 hour ago
Last Updated:January 01, 2026, 07:58 IST
Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, claiming their presence had reduced crime.
A file photo of US President Donald Trump (AP)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that Guard troops are being withdrawn from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, claiming that their presence had led to a sharp reduction in crime and warning that federal forces could return in a “much different and stronger form" if crime rises again.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that the deployment of Guard personnel was solely responsible for improved law and order in the three cities, all of which are led by Democratic administrations.
“We are removing the Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact," Trump wrote.
He further claimed, “Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago were GONE if it weren’t for the Federal Government stepping in."
Trump also criticised Democratic mayors and governors for opposing the deployments, questioning their opposition despite what he described as clear results.
“It is hard to believe that these Democrat Mayors and Governors, all of whom are greatly incompetent, would want us to leave, especially considering the great progress that has been made???" the post read.
Trump also said the withdrawal is temporary and suggested that federal forces could return if crime trends reverse.
“We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again – Only a question of time!" he mentioned in the post.
The move comes after legal challenges repeatedly blocked or limited the administration’s efforts to deploy Guard troops in the three cities.
The Associated Press reported that governors typically control their states’ Guard units, and Trump’s decision to deploy troops against the wishes of Democratic state and local leaders led to court battles in Illinois, Oregon and California.
Trump has made a crackdown on crime in major cities a central theme of his second term, portraying the deployments as part of a broader push against crime, immigration and protests, the report noted.
He has also raised the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, arguing that legal challenges brought by opponents have hindered his plans.
However, the report mentioned that in Chicago and Portland, Guard troops were never actually deployed on city streets as legal challenges played out.
During a court hearing over the proposed Chicago deployment, a Justice Department lawyer told the court that the Guard’s role would be to protect federal property and federal agents, not “solving all of crime in Chicago."
Local officials in both cities disputed Trump’s claims that federal intervention reduced crime.
Chicago officials said in a statement, cited by the Associated Press, that the city recorded 416 homicides in 2025, the lowest number since 2014, attributing the decline to local policing and public safety efforts.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s office also said the city’s reduction in crime was the result of local police work and public safety programmes, not the presence of federal troops.
The country’s Supreme Court, in December, refused to allow the Trump administration to deploy Guard troops in the Chicago area, a significant setback for the President, even though the order was not a final ruling.
In Oregon, a federal judge permanently blocked the deployment of Guard troops to Portland after a trial, ruling that the deployment was unlawful.
In Los Angeles, Trump had earlier federalised the California Guard after protests erupted over immigration arrests.
Thousands of troops were initially deployed to protect federal buildings and agents, but their numbers were gradually reduced.
On Wednesday, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, ordered control of the Guard to be returned to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
First Published:
January 01, 2026, 07:58 IST
News world 'Will Come Back When Crime Soars': Trump Orders Guard To Leave Chicago, LA, Portland
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