FLASH
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The United States Supreme Court has refused to give President Donald Trump the green light to send National Guard troops to the Chicago area, thus placing a temporary halt to the expansion of the use of the military for domestic purposes in Democratic-run cities.
The court's ruling upholds a federal judge's order blocking the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops, following a lawsuit filed by Illinois authorities and local leaders. The U.S. Justice Department had asked that the deployment be allowed while the case was being reviewed in the courts.
"At this preliminary stage, the government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to enforce the laws in Illinois," the court's majority decision, which was issued without a signature, said.
The court added that the president's authority to take federal control of the National Guard is likely to apply only in "extraordinary" circumstances.
Three conservative justices, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, dissented from this decision.
From the White House, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that Trump "has promised Americans that he will work tirelessly to enforce immigration laws and protect federal personnel from violent unrest," adding that the decision "does not dilute this essential agenda."
On the other hand, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the decision "an important step to curb the Trump administration's continued abuse of power and slow its march toward authoritarianism."
The decision represents one of the rare setbacks for the Trump administration on the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority and which, since Trump returned to the White House, has frequently upheld his broad claims to presidential authority.
The National Guard consists of state-based military forces, normally answering to governors, unless federalized by the president.
Trump had ordered the deployment of troops to Chicago, the third largest city in the US, as well as Portland, Oregon, following previous deployments to Los Angeles, Memphis and Washington DC.
The case has highlighted intense clashes over the nature of the protests against Trump's tough immigration policies in the Chicago area. The president and his allies have described the Democratic-led cities as lawless and rife with violence, while local authorities and Trump critics have dismissed those claims as a pretext for sending in the military and an abuse of power.
Federal judges have expressed skepticism over the administration's dramatic portrayal of the situation, noting that the protests have been limited, largely peaceful, and manageable by local law enforcement.
Legal proceedings on this issue are expected to continue, as the Trump administration still seeks ways to expand the military's role in domestic law enforcement.
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