Extract from ABC News
Donald Trump is escalating his efforts to deploy the military on US soil. (Reuters: Daniel Becerril)
US President Donald Trump is ramping up efforts to deploy the National Guard in more cities across the country to combat what he claims is a "war from within".
In recent days, his administration has sent troops to the streets of Chicago, Illinois, and attempted to do the same for Portland, Oregon.
California Governor Gavin Newsom described the extraordinary move as "reckless and authoritarian conduct", accusing the president of using the military as a "political weapon" against citizens.
Here's a quick rundown on where Mr Trump has stationed National Guard troops and why.
What is the National Guard?
It's a section of the military that can be used as reserves for the army and air force.
Each state has its own unit, which answers to the relevant state governor and the president.
While the national guard has assisted with events inside the US before, including during environmental disasters and protests, Mr Trump's deployments are considered rather unprecedented.
That's because he's mostly sending the troops to cities without the approval of the state governors.
Where are troops currently stationed?
National Guard troops are currently deployed in Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis and Washington DC.
The Trump administration attempted to send troops to Portland over the weekend, but the move was blocked by the courts.
Several other cities have also been earmarked for future deployments, but plans are not yet in motion.
That includes New Orleans in Louisiana.
The state governor, Jeff Landry, is a Republican and asked Mr Trump to deploy the guard to New Orleans and other cities.
How did Trump justify the deployments?
The president's reasoning for the deployments boils down to a supposed crime crisis, which he says is impeding federal agents' abilities to perform duties such as immigration enforcement.
He has described some cities as being "war-ravaged" but hasn't provided any real data to back the claim.
Rather, FBI data shows crime is trending down in most major cities.
Justice report also revealed DC's violent crime plunged 35 per cent between 2023 and 2024, putting it at a 30-year low.
The president's opponents say his motivations are more politically charged.
Each of the cities targeted by the president — whether through current deployments or potential locations for future deployments — are run by Democratic mayors.
Many cities topping the violent crime rates statistics have not been named as potential targets.
Civil rights groups and leaders have gone further, suggesting the cities are being targeted for their racial demographics.
Except for Portland, each city that has found itself in the crosshairs for deployments have minority-majority populations, where minority groups make up the majority of residents.
When the National Guard was deployed in Washington DC, civil rights leader and National Action Network founder Reverend Al Sharpton slammed the move as an effort to racially profile minorities.
"This is laced with bigotry and racism," he said during an address at Howard University.
"I think this is a civil rights issue, a race issue, and an issue of DC statehood."
Those comments were echoed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
"Trump's actions are rooted in racism, establishing an authoritarian regime, and White Nationalism," its Washington DC branch president, Carmel Henry, said.
Is this legal?
It's complicated.
While there is some federal law that covers this area, its limits are largely untested.
That means courts have not yet decided on how the law should be interpreted and applied to the way the president is currently using the National Guard.
The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act generally prevents the military from participating in domestic law enforcement.
That includes activity such as investigating local crimes, overriding local law enforcement or compelling certain behaviour.
Critics of the deployments point to this law to say Mr Trump shouldn't be able to send the troops to cities without the consent of governors.
But the Trump administration argues that it should be allowed to do so under a provision called Title 10.
That allows the president to call the National Guard into federal service when the country "is invaded", or when "there is a rebellion or danger of rebellion" against the authority of the government.
This exact debate has already been weighed up in court, and a clear answer hasn't been turned up just yet.
Here's a quick rundown on how court challenges are tracking.
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