The Supreme Court on Tuesday dealt a rare blow to President Donald Trump by rejecting his bid to overrule a lower court order and allow the deployment of National Guard troops to the Chicago area over the objections of local and state leaders.
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the case in October after a District Court judge blocked the president’s plans to send troops to aid in an immigration crackdown. The court on Tuesday declined Trump’s request.
“Today is a big win for Illinois and American democracy,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a post on X.
“This is an important step in curbing the Trump Administration’s consistent abuse of power and slowing Trump’s march toward authoritarianism,” Pritzker continued.
U.S. presidents can deploy the National Guard under certain authorities, but guardsmen are typically not permitted to engage in civilian law enforcement. Trump’s attempts to send troops to mostly blue cities to fight crime have tested the bounds of presidential authority and led to a series of lawsuits.
