Federal Judge Dismisses Illinois Lawsuit Over National Guard Deployment, Ends Legal Battle From Operation Midway Blitz Era

A federal judge on Monday granted a motion to dismiss the state's lawsuit over the mobilization of National Guard troops in Illinois, ending litigation that made national headlines during the Operation Midway Blitz.

U.S. District Judge April Perry ruled that the case was no longer viable after the Trump administration rescinded the presidential orders that had authorized the deployment. The judge noted that the "facts on the ground have changed substantially" since last fall when hundreds of federalized troops were poised to help protect federal agents during deportation operations in the Chicago area.

"Things in Chicago are calm," Perry said. "They have been calm for many many months, and while that certainly could change in the future, there is no threat of that happening anytime soon."

The decision ends a legal battle that began in early October 2025 when the Illinois Attorney General and city of Chicago filed suit to block the deployment. On October 9, Judge Perry issued a historic restraining order blocking the deployment after a daylong, emotionally charged hearing.

The U.S. Supreme Court later denied a request from the Trump administration to allow the deployment, ruling that the administration had "failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois."

Attorney Christopher Wells, who represents the state, argued that Illinois was still under threat from President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

"The president has not rescinded the memoranda and has said he will come back," Wells said, referring to a post Trump made on Truth Social in December. "They have never fully disavowed or stepped away from the course of conduct that gave rise to this case."

Stephen Tagert, an attorney for the Department of Justice, said the lawsuit should not proceed since the orders authorizing the National Guard deployment would not be used again given the Supreme Court's decision.

"These orders are no longer operative," Tagert said. "The National Guard is completely gone, and the case is moot."

After the ruling, Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement saying he was "pleased" the court declared the Trump administration's unlawful orders defunct.

"The American people, regardless of the city or state in which they reside, should not live under threat of military occupation simply because they live in a jurisdiction that has fallen out of a president's political favor," Raoul said. "I am proud of the attorneys from my office who diligently fought to uphold the rule of law, because in Illinois, we recognize that the Constitution is not merely a suggestion."

The case followed a pattern of legal battles across Democratic-led cities as the Trump administration sought to deploy National Guard troops to assist with immigration enforcement operations. California and Oregon also faced similar challenges, with California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield coordinating legal strategies with their Illinois counterparts.

The deployments had been citing a 19th century law called 10 U.S.C. 12406, which had very little precedent around it. The law hinges on vague terms like rebellion and invasion that were not clearly defined in the statute.

The court battles helped define the law and ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court blocking the deployments in Illinois, California, and Oregon.

Operation Midway Blitz had begun in mid-September 2025 with enhanced immigration enforcement in the Chicago area. Federal agents working on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made hundreds of arrests in the region, with data showing that 58 percent of those apprehended had no criminal history whatsoever.

The operation slowed in mid-November 2025 as tensions eased and the legal challenges mounted. By December, the administration had pulled hundreds of National Guard troops from California, Oregon and Illinois after the Supreme Court ruled against the administration in the Illinois case.

The Illinois Accountability Commission, created by Governor JB Pritzker to investigate and hold accountable federal immigration agents, has requested testimony from Trump administration officials including Stephen Miller, Gregory Bovino and Kristi Noem.

The commission's chair, Judge Ruben Castillo, sent letters to current and former Trump administration officials seeking testimony about the operation.

The legal battle over the National Guard deployment represents one of the most significant challenges to federal executive power in recent years, with Democratic attorneys general working together to establish limits on the president's authority to deploy military forces in states against their wishes.