The Trump administration’s controversial deployment of National Guard troops to several cities led by Democrats ended in January, marking a muted retreat by President Donald Trump, who claimed the federal troops were needed to fight immigration-related crime.
The withdrawal of the National Guard from Chicago; Los Angeles; and Portland, Oregon, began on Jan. 6 and ended Jan. 21, according to U.S. Northern Command. The news was first reported by The Washington Post.
Approximately 2,500 National Guard members remain in Washington, D.C., according to the D.C. National Guard, and are expected to stay in the nation’s capital through the end of the year. The National Guard also maintains a presence in other cities, including Memphis and New Orleans, where troops, though federally funded, are under state control.
The administration’s mobilization of National Guard troops to various cities was heavily criticized by state and local lawmakers and civil rights groups, who accused Trump of violating states’ autonomy and turning the U.S. military against American citizens.
The deployments also suffered multiple defeats in courts. In December, the Supreme Court declined to block a lower court’s decision preventing the mobilization of the National Guard in Chicago.
A week later, on Dec. 31, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would remove the National Guard from Chicago, Portland and Los Angeles “despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact.” Trump warned that the National Guard could return to those cities, “perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again — Only a question of time!” The Trump administration’s deployment of troops to six cities around the country cost U.S. taxpayers $496 million in 2025, according to an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office released on Jan. 28.
Julia Jester covers politics for MS NOW and is based in Washington, D.C.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News. Recommended
