The Trump administration has appealed to the US Supreme Court for permission to deploy National Guard troops to Illinois, as the president intensifies his push to expand military involvement in several Democrat-led states.
In an emergency motion filed Friday, the Justice Department urged the court to overturn a lower court ruling that blocked the deployment of several hundred Guard members to the Chicago area, reports Guardian.
The district judge earlier questioned the administration’s justification for sending troops, citing inconsistencies with local security conditions.
A federal appeals court upheld the injunction on Thursday, keeping the order on hold while the case proceeds. Later that night, US District Judge Sara Ellis directed federal officers to activate body cameras during immigration enforcement operations, including public interactions.
She also required officers to provide warnings before using crowd-control weapons like tear gas and to wear visible identification. Ellis ordered federal agency representatives to appear before her Monday to explain how her directives – effective through 6 November, are being implemented.
Solicitor General D John Sauer, representing the administration, claimed that federal officers had been “threatened and assaulted” in Chicago and the nearby suburb of Broadview, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility is located.
President Trump has already deployed National Guard units to Chicago and Portland, following similar moves in Los Angeles, Memphis, and Washington, DC. He argues that such measures are vital to controlling unrest and strengthening immigration enforcement.
Democratic leaders, however, accuse the president of exaggerating the scale of protests for political gain and misusing federal power to target opponents. Judges, too, have expressed doubts about the administration’s portrayal of events, noting that most demonstrations have been peaceful.
A Guardian report recently revealed that an increasing number of US military veterans have faced arrest or injury during protests linked to Trump’s deportation policy and his expanded use of the National Guard.
At the core of the legal dispute lies a federal law allowing the president to federalize the Guard only during rebellion or when regular forces cannot enforce federal laws. The administration maintains that the deployment is necessary to protect federal facilities and personnel.
Earlier this month, about 300 members of the Illinois National Guard were federalized, with additional troops ordered from Texas. Trump later intensified his rhetoric, calling for the arrest of Chicago’s mayor and Illinois’ governor – both Democrats, accusing them of failing to protect immigration officers.
