CHICAGO: A United States appellate court has ruled that hundreds of National Guard troops sent to Chicago can remain in Illinois but cannot be deployed.
The decision largely upholds a lower court’s halt on the mobilisation ordered by President Donald Trump as part of his mass deportation campaign.
The ruling stated that the request for an administrative stay was granted regarding the federalization of the National Guard but denied regarding deployment.
The Trump administration had appealed the lower court ruling arguing the troops are necessary to protect immigration agents and facilities in Chicago.
This appellate decision allows the deployment of troops to remain paused until the court can hear further arguments.
The deployment in Chicago involves 200 National Guard troops from Texas and 300 from Illinois according to US Army Northern Command.
An initial mobilisation period of 60 days was planned for these troops.
Regarding a similar troop deployment in Democratic-ruled Portland Oregon a three-member appeals court panel was considering whether to lift another judge’s temporary block.
Illinois and Oregon are not the first states to file legal challenges against the Trump administration’s domestic use of the National Guard.
They follow California which sued the Trump administration after the National Guard was deployed in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Federal authorities claimed the deployment aimed to quell demonstrations sparked by sweeping raids on undocumented migrants.
Local and state leaders called the deployment an unnecessary escalation of force.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Chicago have sent a chill through Latino communities.
Activist groups have warned residents about sweeps in neighborhoods like Cicero Little Village and Pilsen.
Community member Casey Caballero stated that even without visible raids these actions are affecting the community.
Recent protests at an ICE facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview have led to protesters being beaten tear-gassed and arrested. – AFP