National Guard Deployments Rise Sharply Under Trump's Second Term
As Chicago resident Maria Gonzalez watches National Guard vehicles roll through her West Side neighborhood for the third time this month, she shakes her head. "It feels like we're occupying ourselves," she tells me, pulling her sweater tighter against the autumn chill. "They say it's for our safety, but we never asked for this."
In the first four months of his second term, President Trump has ordered or suggested federal intervention in nearly a dozen cities - from Portland to New York - all in Democratic-controlled states. The rapid escalation marks a significant shift from previous administrations' more restrained use of domestic military deployments.
Recent deployments include:
- 500 troops to Chicago following violent Labor Day weekend
- National Guard assisting border patrol in San Diego
- Ongoing federal presence in Portland parking enforcement dispute
Legal experts point to the 200-year-old Posse Comitatus Act, which generally restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement. "There's a gray area when governors request assistance," explains UCLA law professor Rebecca Moore. "But back-to-back deployments in politically opposing states raises constitutional questions."
Chicago Mayor Lori Johnson describes the situation as "governing by intimidation," while Portland officials have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the administration's authority. The White House maintains that deployments are strictly responses to local requests for support with crime prevention.
For residents like Gonzalez, the consequences feel personal. "My teenage son now walks to school past soldiers with rifles," she says. "Is this the new normal?"
With 11 cities currently hosting Guard units and rumors of more deployments before midterm elections, civil liberties groups warn America may be entering uncharted constitutional territory between federal authority and local governance.
Read the original investigation: NPR's National Guard Tracker