The National Guard will be withdrawn from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (local time). Announcing his decision on Truth Social, the 79-year-old Republican leader said the presence of the National Guard have helped in significantly reducing crime in the above-mentioned cities, adding that they would have been 'gone' had the Federal government not intervened.
However, the US president said that the National Guard could be redeployed in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland if crime rises there again.
"We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again - Only a question of time! It is hard to believe that these Democrat Mayors and Governors, all of whom are greatly incompetent, would want us to leave, especially considering the great progress that has been made???" Trump said.
Deployment of National Guard and US Supreme Court's verdict
The Trump administration had started deploying National Guard in several cities from June last year, citing crime and the 'inability' of local law enforcement bodies in maintaining law and order. Despite criticism from judges who claim the Trump administration has 'overstepped' its authority, the president said the deployment was necessary to fight crime and protect federal property.
However, the US Supreme Court on December 24 refused the Trump administration from deploying National Guard in the Chicago area, where an immigration enforcement drive was underway that led to the arrests of many people. The verdict was given by three justices -- Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.
According to the court, the Trump administration had failed to show the statute at issue "permits the president to federalise the Guard in the exercise of inherent authority to protect federal personnel and property in Illinois."
Before this, a federal judge gad also ordered Trump to end the deployment of National Guard in Los Angeles. Though Trump has faced some setbacks, a US appeals court had last month ruled that National Guard deployment will continue in Washington, DC for now, staying a lower court verdict that had ordered to end it.