Without a press conference, without a victory pose, without a word of self-criticism, federalized National Guard units disappeared from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. What had been sold for months as an indispensable measure against supposedly out of control cities ended quietly in the background. By January 21, more than 5,000 troops from California, around 500 from Chicago, and about 200 from Oregon had been sent home. The demobilization was handled through U.S. Northern Command, which stated matter of factly that the troops had completed their activities. Nothing came from the White House.
Just weeks earlier, the administration had claimed that only these “patriots” had reduced crime. The cities would have been “lost” without federal intervention, the president wrote in December. They would return “in a different and stronger form” if crime rose again. Now came the withdrawal - after a series of defeats in court.
Chicago will remain with us for a long time
Federal judges accused the administration of testing the limits of its authority and effectively attempting to create a national policing structure under the direct control of the president. Several lawsuits filed by states and municipalities ultimately led the Supreme Court in December to halt further deployment to Chicago. The justices signaled that protests against immigration policy do not justify a permanent military presence on city streets. Under Title 10, troops may be placed under federal command, but they are not permitted to carry out law enforcement tasks such as arrests or searches. It was precisely this gray area that the administration had stretched.
The deployments cost nearly half a billion dollars, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office. Money for troops who in Washington D.C. at times collected trash, while others patrolled the National Mall or train stations. More than 2,500 National Guard members remain stationed there, however under a separate agreement set to expire later this year. Two soldiers from West Virginia were shot near the White House in November. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe has since been fighting his way back through rehabilitation, while soldier Sarah Beckstrom died one day after the attack.
A Shot at Close Range - 20-year-old soldier Sarah Beckstrom has died and a president who uses the moment for himself
Only a few hundred meters from the White House, something happened on Wednesday afternoon that plunged Washington into a mix of shock, grief and political calculation. Two National Guard soldiers from West Virginia, recently deployed to the capital to support the government, were shot on the open street. On Thursday evening, Donald Trump announced during a Thanksgiving call with troops that one of the two wounded, twenty-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, had died. His sentence came without preparation, without visible restraint: "She just died. She is no longer with us. Her parents are with her."
Units also remain in Memphis and New Orleans, but there under the leadership of the respective governors. We will report from Memphis in the coming days - initial articles are already in the magazine. The crucial difference: in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, the president had federalized the Guard against the explicit resistance of Democratic governors. For many legal scholars, that was a power move with explosive political implications. In Illinois, Governor J.B. Pritzker responded with a brief statement: after multiple court defeats against Illinois and other states, the National Guard had finally been quietly withdrawn from the streets. The pressure is working - and must be maintained.
Minneapolis Demanded Everything from Everyone - The Solidarity and Backbone of Its Residents Are Simply Unbelievable
The conflict had escalated most recently when the Department of Defense in January prepared around 1,500 active duty soldiers for a possible deployment to Minneapolis. The trigger was protests against massive immigration raids. The planned transfer never took place. After the fatal shootings of demonstrators Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the administration withdrew not only that option, but also the so called Commander at Large of the Border Patrol, Greg Bovino, along with around 700 federal officers.
What remains is a bitter image. A president who sought to demonstrate strength through military presence. Courts, civil rights organizations, journalists, attorneys, activists who repeatedly set limits. Cities that became stages for a struggle over power. And two names that mark the price this escalation demanded.
It is a hard won success. But it was paid for dearly. The research, documentation, and support for victims continue - and in Memphis it is no different. Because Minneapolis is everywhere in Trump’s America. If you value our work for human rights, we welcome your support.
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