US President Donald Trump is ramping up efforts to deploy the National Guard in more cities across the country to combat what he claims is a "war from within".
In recent days, his administration has sent troops to the streets of Chicago, Illinois, and attempted to do the same for Portland, Oregon.
California Governor Gavin Newsom described the extraordinary move as "reckless and authoritarian conduct", accusing the president of using the military as a "political weapon" against citizens.
Here's a quick rundown on where Mr Trump has stationed National Guard troops and why.
What is the National Guard?
It's a section of the military that can be used as reserves for the army and air force.
Each state has its own unit, which answers to the relevant state governor and the president.
While the national guard has assisted with events inside the US before, including during environmental disasters and protests, Mr Trump's deployments are considered rather unprecedented.
That's because he's mostly sending the troops to cities without the approval of the state governors.
Where are troops currently stationed?
National Guard troops are currently deployed in Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis and Washington DC.
The Trump administration attempted to send troops to Portland over the weekend, but the move was blocked by the courts.
[LINK: National Guard deployments in US cities]Several other cities have also been earmarked for future deployments, but plans are not yet in motion.
That includes New Orleans in Louisiana.
The state governor, Jeff Landry, is a Republican and asked Mr Trump to deploy the guard to New Orleans and other cities.
How did Trump justify the deployments?
The president's reasoning for the deployments boils down to a supposed crime crisis, which he says is impeding federal agents' abilities to perform duties such as immigration enforcement.
He has described some cities as being "war-ravaged" but hasn't provided any real data to back the claim.
Rather, FBI data shows crime is trending down in most major cities.
Here's a deeper look at the crime statistics for the cities in his sights.
Chicago
- Violent crime rate of 540 per 100,000 people
- Ranked 201 in violent crime out of 315 cities with more than 100k people
Chicago has reported the most homicides of all US cities for 13 years straight, according to FBI data.
That's one number the Trump administration has particularly leaned on when justifying National Guard deployment to the city.
But that's somewhat unsurprising, given Chicago is the third-most populous city in the country.
In actuality, the rate of violent crime (which factors in the population size) is relatively low compared with other cities.
Chicago has also recorded a 24.5 per cent decrease in violent crimes between the current year to date and the same period in 2024.
Murders have fallen by 49 per cent in the last four years, according to police data.
Some commentary around Chicago has noted the city experienced a 369 per cent increase in reported crime from 2019 to 2023.
But the Council on Criminal Justice, which analyses crime rates in major cities, says this figure encompassed violent, property and drug offences, and was driven by a surge in motor vehicle thefts that affected several large cities during the period.
Los Angeles
- Violent crime rate of 728 per 100,000 people
- Ranked 71 in violent crime out of 315 cities with more than 100k people
Los Angeles reported a 7.3 per cent reduction in violent crime from the period of June 2023 to May 2024, and the same period in 2024 to 2025.
That included a 25 per cent reduction in murders.
Los Angeles has an overall violent crime rate of 728 per 100,000 people, which is less than half of the rates of cities with the highest crime rates.
Memphis
- Violent crime rate of 2,501 per 100,000 people
- Ranked 1 in violent crime out of 315 cities with more than 100k people
In 2024, Memphis recorded the highest crime rate of any major city in the US.
While it has experienced declines in several criminal offences in recent years, the city is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Memphis's homicide rate is dropping slower than in other large cities, but the city is outpacing others in declines of carjacking and motor vehicle theft, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.
Portland
- Violent crime rate of 720 per 100,000 people
- Ranked 72 in violent crime out of 315 cities with more than 100k people
In terms of violent crime rates, Portland is in the middle of the pack nationwide.
The city recorded a rate of 720 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2024.
Overall crime in the city has fallen since 2022, according to FBI crime data.
That's in line with most major cities in the country.
Washington DC
- Violent crime rate of 926 per 100,000 people
- Ranked 36 in violent crime out of 315 cities with more than 100k people
The latest data from Washington's Metropolitan Police show while violent crime spiked in the city in 2023, it has been declining since.
In the past year, violent crimes have decreased by 26 per cent and overall crime has declined by 7 per cent.
A recent Department of Justice report also revealed DC's violent crime plunged 35 per cent between 2023 and 2024, putting it at a 30-year low.
The president's opponents say his motivations are more politically charged.
Each of the cities targeted by the president — whether through current deployments or potential locations for future deployments — are run by Democratic mayors.
Many cities topping the violent crime rates statistics have not been named as potential targets.
[LINK: Cities with highest violent crime rates in 2024]Civil rights groups and leaders have gone further, suggesting the cities are being targeted for their racial demographics.
Except for Portland, each city that has found itself in the crosshairs for deployments have minority-majority populations, where minority groups make up the majority of residents.
When the National Guard was deployed in Washington DC, civil rights leader and National Action Network founder Reverend Al Sharpton slammed the move as an effort to racially profile minorities.
"This is laced with bigotry and racism," he said during an address at Howard University.
"I think this is a civil rights issue, a race issue, and an issue of DC statehood."
Those comments were echoed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
"Trump's actions are rooted in racism, establishing an authoritarian regime, and White Nationalism," its Washington DC branch president, Carmel Henry, said.
Is this legal?
It's complicated.
While there is some federal law that covers this area, its limits are largely untested.
That means courts have not yet decided on how the law should be interpreted and applied to the way the president is currently using the National Guard.
The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act generally prevents the military from participating in domestic law enforcement.
That includes activity such as investigating local crimes, overriding local law enforcement or compelling certain behaviour.
Critics of the deployments point to this law to say Mr Trump shouldn't be able to send the troops to cities without the consent of governors.
But the Trump administration argues that it should be allowed to do so under a provision called Title 10.
That allows the president to call the National Guard into federal service when the country "is invaded", or when "there is a rebellion or danger of rebellion" against the authority of the government.
This exact debate has already been weighed up in court, and a clear answer hasn't been turned up just yet.
Here's a quick rundown on how court challenges are tracking.
Chicago
Chicago hasn't filed a lawsuit against the deployment yet, but Mr Pritzker has already flagged that plans are in motion.
The city's mayor, Brandon Johnson, signed an executive order on Monday that barred federal agents from using city-owned property as staging areas.
It applies to parking lots, garages and vacant lots.
Los Angeles
Mr Newsom sued the Trump administration over its deployment of troops to Los Angeles in June.
A federal judge found the president's use of the guard wilfully violated the Posse Comitatus Act and issued a temporary block on the National Guard's activity in the city.
That was put on hold when the Trump administration appealed, however.
A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals is currently weighing the case but has indicated it believes the federal government is likely to win.
Portland
A federal judge in the state temporarily blocked the deployment of Oregon National Guard troops to Portland on Saturday, pending further arguments in a lawsuit brought by the state and city.
Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by Mr Trump during his first term, said the small protests that had occurred in Portland did not justify using federal forces.
"The President's determination was simply untethered to the facts," she wrote about the Trump administration's reasoning for the deployment.
Judge Immergut said allowing the troops to be stationed in Portland would threaten the city's sovereignty and risk allowing government overreach.
"This historical tradition boils down to a simple proposition: this is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law."
The Trump administration has appealed that ruling, too, and attempted to sidestep the restriction by redeploying troops from California and Texas to Portland — something Judge Immergut considered a "direct contravention" of her decision and blocked as well.
"I wasn't served well by the people that picked judges," Mr Trump said in reference to Judge Immergut being a judge he appointed.
He added that she "ought to be ashamed of herself" because "Portland is burning to the ground".
"This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power," California Governor Gavin Newsom said of the redeployment of California troops.
"The Trump administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself and putting into action their dangerous words — ignoring court orders and treating judges, even those appointed by the president himself, as political opponents."
Washington
A lawsuit filed against the Trump administration by District of Columbia Attorney-General Brian Schwalb hit similar notes to Judge Immergut's ruling, arguing the National Guard's presence in the nation's capital hurt the city's autonomy and local economy.
