Donald J. Trump, President of the United States v. Illinois
Denied
No. 25A443·Stay application·Filed by the federal government·Presented to Justice Barrett·From United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
What did the Court do?
The Court denied the request on December 23, 2025: the lower court's ruling stays in effect while the appeal continues.
Emergency rulings are temporary and do not decide the underlying case. Justice Alito, Justice Thomas, and Justice Gorsuch would have ruled the other way.
Filed · Ruled · 67 days after filing
What's being asked
The federal government asks the Supreme Court to pause the order blocking federalization and deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois. The government says President Trump lawfully called the Guard to protect federal personnel and property from violent threats; Illinois and Chicago challenge the call-up.
What the Court did
The Court refused emergency help, denying (turning down) the government's request to pause the order; it did not decide who wins. The Court read “regular forces” as likely meaning the U.S. military and said the government had not shown authority for law enforcement in Illinois. Justice Kavanaugh agreed with the result for different reasons; Justice Alito disagreed, with Justice Thomas signing onto Alito's written disagreement; Justice Gorsuch also disagreed.
Barrett
Gorsuch: Dissented, wrote an opinion
Sotomayor
Thomas: Dissented
Chief Justice Roberts
Alito: Dissented, wrote an opinion
Kagan
Kavanaugh: Concurred, wrote an opinion
Jackson
Concurred in a separate opinion
Dissented
Wrote separately
Vote not published
Concurring · 1agreed with the result, wrote separately
The order records the positions of 4 of 9 justices. The Court usually does not say how each justice voted on an emergency application, so the rest are shown as not published.
Filing90 days
Half of 82 rulings on applications where the Court asked for a response came 10 to 26 days after filing, and the median was 17 days; this one was ruled on 67 days after filing.
What it means
This emergency ruling only addresses whether to pause the order; it does not decide who wins the underlying dispute. The case continues under the Seventh Circuit's order: Guard members may remain in federal service in Illinois, but cannot deploy there. No related case on the main question is listed, and no argument is set.
Separate writings
Justice Alito, joined by Justice Thomas, dissenting
Facts on this page come from the Supreme Court docket, orders, and opinions for No. 25A443. The answers restate that record in plain words; explainer copy is written from the record and the filings only.