Trump Asks Supreme Court to Deploy Troops in Chicago, Again
Bloomberg reports Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to greenlight deploying National Guard troops in Chicago (Bloomberg, 2025-10-17). This isn't groundbreaking; President Trump previously deployed federal agents to Portland in 2020, sparking widespread criticism over constitutional overreach and the militarization of domestic law enforcement. The Posse Comitatus Act generally limits
military involvement in civilian law enforcement, unless specifically authorized by law or the Constitution itself. One might wonder if the former President has simply swapped out his legal team for a wish list. Instead of addressing long-standing systemic issues that contribute to urban crime, such as chronic underfunding in communities, widespread economic inequality, or inadequate mental health
services, the preferred solution (yet again) is a military occupation. It appears easier to bypass established legal frameworks and local governance than to invest actual resources into the cities themselves. How many times can a leader attempt to federalize local policing before it's clear the problem isn't the cities, but the approach?