President Donald Trump's attempts to deploy the military in Democratic-led cities over objections of mayors and governors have brought a head-spinning array of court challenges and overlapping rulings. As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs whether to clear the way for the National Guard in Chicago, a federal judge on Wednesday said she would agree to extend a two-week block on Guard deployment in the Chicago area by 30 days. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court is hearing arguments in California Gov. Gavin Newsom's challenge to troop deployment in Los Angeles. Guard troops could also soon be on the ground in Portland, Oregon — pending legal developments there.

The state of Illinois is urging a judge to order the National Guard to stand down in the Chicago area. The state calls the deployment a constitutional crisis and suggests that President Donald Trump's administration gave no heed to the pending legal challenge. Federal Judge April Perry is hearing arguments Thursday. Members of the National Guard arrived Monday, and some are stationed at a Chicago-area immigration building. A Department of Justice lawyer says the Chicago area was rife with "tragic lawlessness." He noted an incident last weekend in which a Border Patrol vehicle was boxed in and a woman was shot by an agent.