In late December 2025, President Donald Trump’s administration announced the withdrawal of National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, describing the move as temporary while crime trends were improving in those cities.
The decision, announced on December 31, 2025, involves pulling back the National Guard units stationed in Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and Portland, Oregon. Officials cited a notable drop in crime and said the deployments were no longer deemed necessary at this time, framing the action as a temporary pause—“for now”—with the door left open for future redeployments if conditions change.
Officials and outlets framed the move as a pause rather than a permanent end to guard deployments in these cities. Coverage across major outlets highlighted the temporary nature of the decision, noting that safety improvements were the stated justification for pausing the National Guard presence.
The withdrawal marks a pivot in the administration’s approach to federal deployments in urban centers that had faced heightened security concerns. It does not represent a universal policy shift, and local authorities in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland could request or authorize further federal assistance in the future if crime trends rise again.