Supreme Court Hands Trump White House Brutal Defeat on National Guard Deployments

So, is the Supreme Court right-wing or not? Remember, the Left has been whining that the high court is an illegitimate institution because it hands down decisions that run counter to the Left’s illiberal agenda.

Today, the Court handed the Trump White House a brutal ruling regarding the deployment of the National Guard to Chicago. They can’t be mobilized, at least for now. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the liberal bloc on this one (via WaPo):

BREAKING: Significant loss for Trump administration at Supreme Court, which rules that Trump lacked authority to federalize and deploy the National Guard to execute laws in Illinois. https://t.co/T9zLnRC4GE pic.twitter.com/5aIERMb0i8
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 23, 2025

BREAKING: The Supreme Court has just ruled that Trump CAN NOT use the National Guard to protect ICE agents in Chicago by using "inherent Constitutional authority."

It's time to INVOKE THE INSURRECTION ACT!

Our agents are UNDER ATTACK daily and they CANNOT be left vulnerable.… pic.twitter.com/KXCvObh6kA
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) December 23, 2025

🚨 BREAKING: Supreme Court BLOCKS President Trump deploying the National Guard in J.B. Pritzker's Illinois to ensure immigration law can be enforced - for now - 6 to 3.

Roberts, Barrett and Kavanaugh joined the liberals.

Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch dissent.

Thankfully, the case… pic.twitter.com/hosJHXwaaO
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 23, 2025

The Supreme Court said Tuesday that it would not allow President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard in the Chicago area for now, a significant setback for his campaign to push troops into cities across the country over the objections of local and state leaders.
The president’s ability to federalize the National Guard likely only applies “exceptional” circumstances, the court’s unsigned order said.
“At this preliminary stage, the Government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois,” it added.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil M. Gorsuch dissented. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh filed a separate concurrence.
The decision, while temporary, could have far-reaching effects by repudiating Trump’s efforts to mobilize and deploy troops he says are necessary to fight crime and protect immigration enforcement officers.
Trump has sent or threatened to dispatch troops to cities including Los Angeles, Portland, Ore., Washington, San Francisco and Baltimore, sparking several legal challenges. Many local and state officials across the country have denounced Trump’s attempted deployments, saying the move inflames tensions, breaks the law and intrudes on their sovereignty.
[…]
The legal dispute has lingered for weeks, leaving Trump’s proposed deployment in the country’s third-largest city indefinitely postponed.