Donald Trump deploys 300 National Guard troops to Chicago as judge blocks Portland order, here's why

President Donald Trump has deployed 300 National Guard troops to Chicago to protect federal officers and assets, citing "ongoing violent riots and lawlessness" in the city. The move comes as an attempt by the Trump administration to deploy the National Guard in Portland, Oregon, was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in a lawsuit brought by the state and city.

Why did Trump authorise troops in Chicago?

Trump's decision to send 300 troops to Chicago was made following an incident where a federal agent shot an allegedly armed motorist. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson confirmed the US president authorised the move, stating that "President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities." The development comes after weeks of the Republicans threatening to send troops to the Midwestern city over the wishes of local leaders.

For the unversed, A US federal agent shot a motorist in Chicago after law enforcement vehicles were surrounded by 10 cars, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agent claimed the motorist was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and rammed into a law enforcement vehicle, prompting defensive shots. The shooting occurred in Chicago's Brighton Park neighbourhood.

When Trump warned of 'invasion' in Chicago

Earlier this week, Trump had warned of an "invasion" within the country, which is not different from a "foreign enemy". He said that it is difficult to trace such enemies as they do not wear uniforms, CNN reported. Trump was addressing a gathering of top US military officials at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. "We're under invasion from within. No different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways because they don't wear uniforms," Trump said, as per CNN. 

President Trump stated that he suggested that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth use some of the dangerous US cities for military training."I told Pete that we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military, National Guard, but military, because we're going into Chicago very soon," he said, as quoted by CNN.  The US President further considered San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles as "unsafe" places, stating that his administration would address them one by one.

Federal judge blocked deployment in Portland

A Federal Judge in Oregon temporarily blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from deploying the National Guard in Portland, ruling in a lawsuit brought by the state and city. The plaintiffs said a deployment would violate the U.S. Constitution as well as a federal law that generally prohibits the military from being used to enforce domestic laws, according to AP.

(With inputs from agencies)