Members of the National Guard have quietly exited major U.S. cities, heading back to their homes following the large-scale deployments ordered by the Trump administration. Initially, these troops were sent in significant numbers to cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland. However, as reported by the U.S. Northern Command, this federal mission has now concluded. At its peak, the deployment included 5,000 troops in Los Angeles, about 500 in Chicago, and 200 in Portland.
Federal Troops Quietly Withdrawn from Major Cities
All of these troops have now returned without any formal announcements from the Pentagon or the White House. The deployment to these cities was conducted under the president’s Title 10 authority, which permits the federal use of National Guard personnel for activities not involving law enforcement. These troops were specifically tasked with protecting federal buildings and assisting federal agents. Meanwhile, National Guard members deployed under different mandates, such as those in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and Memphis, remain unaffected by this withdrawal.
Supreme Court Limits Trump’s Guard Deployment Powers
Approximately 2,500 National Guard troops are anticipated to stay in Washington, D.C., through the end of the year, as initially reported by the Washington Post. In December, the Supreme Court delivered a significant decision, temporarily blocking the deployment of troops in Chicago, ruling that the president may only authorize National Guard deployment under ‘exceptional’ circumstances.
The decision could limit the president’s ability to authorize additional troop deployments within the US. Trump has credited the National Guard deployment in DC for making the city safer and leading to lower rates of crime. Crime in effectively all categories has dropped significantly since Trump deployed the National Guard to the capital in August 2025, local police data shows.
National Guard troops in DC have been spotted clearing roads after snowstorms and picking up trash as a part of their orders. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates, federal troop deployments to US cities cost $496 million in 2025. The current burn rate for deployments will cost around $93 million per month, CBO estimates. A 1,000-troop National Guard deployment to a city will cost at least $18 million per month, per their estimates.
