Judge Extends Block on National Guard in Chicago
Military personnel in uniform, with the Texas National Guard patch on, are seen at the Army Reserve Center on Oct. 7 in Elwood, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Oct. 23, 2025, 1:30 AM CDT
A federal judge on Wednesday extended indefinitely the restraining order that had blocked the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Chicago for two weeks. The extension means the troops are unlikely to be sent to the Illinois city anytime soon, pending a court decision—or potential intervention by the Supreme Court, which the administration has requested.
Oct. 17, 2025, 4:35 PM CDT
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to permit the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois, despite opposition from state and local officials. President Trump argues that the troops are necessary to protect immigration officers and combat crime in the Chicago area. Local and state leaders, however, contend the deployment is both unlawful and unnecessary, pushing back against the administration’s depiction of their communities as overrun by crime, according to the Washington Post.
Earlier this month, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the troop deployment in and around Chicago, a decision upheld by an appeals court. The emergency request comes amid a broader federal effort to send forces to cities including Portland, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
In the Supreme Court filing, Solicitor General D. John Sauer described the situation in Illinois as part of a “disturbing and recurring pattern” of violent resistance against federal immigration enforcement, according to The Hill. The filing criticized U.S. District Judge April Perry for allegedly ignoring “the facts on the ground” and overriding the president’s authority to make military decisions.
A Seventh Circuit panel has noted that while protests in Illinois have occasionally turned violent, they do not constitute a “rebellion against federal authority.” Since returning to office, President Trump has frequently turned to the Supreme Court for emergency appeals on issues such as barring transgender individuals from military service, reclaiming billions in congressionally approved funds, and removing Senate-confirmed agency leaders, the Associated Press reports.
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