In January 2026, Mike Cox said he would never turn down Trump’s help in Michigan and would allow Trump to send federal forces and National Guard troops against Detroit residents. Cox’s greater embrace of Trump’s federal forces overreach came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Trump did not have the authority to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago in December 2025. Despite this ruling, Trump suggested he would “not hesitate to deploy troops in the future.”
The Trump administration faced repeated legal challenges for overstepping its authority in deploying federal forces without the consent of governors and mayors across several American cities. In January 2026, Minnesota and Illinois sued the Trump administration over their deployment of federal agents to the Twin Cities and Chicago for immigration operations, arguing the unprecedented deployment of federal officers was a “federal invasion” and unconstitutional violation of the Tenth Amendment.
January 2026: Mike Cox: “I Wouldn't Turn Down Any Federal Help One Bit.” According to Mike Cox on Detroit in Black and White, “So I wouldn't turn down any federal help one bit.” [Mike Cox Interview – Detroit In Black And White, 1/7/26] (VIDEO)
January 2026: Mike Cox Said He Would Not Stop Trump From Deploying The National Guard Against Detroit Residents. According to Mike Cox on Detroit in Black and White, “If the president said I'll offer you the National Guard to go stand around Detroit and assist officers in the city, sworn officers in Detroit, I wouldn't turn that down. In fact, if you read what's going on in Memphis…” [Mike Cox Interview – Detroit In Black And White, 1/7/26] (VIDEO)
September 2025: Governor Whitmer Called Trump’s Attempt To Deploy National Guard Troops Into Detroit “Unwarranted,” While Mike Cox Argued The Deployment Indeed Was “Warranted” To Combat Crime In Detroit. According to Bridge Michigan, “Michigan will not ask the Trump administration to send National Guard troops into Detroit, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday, rejecting calls from Republicans to do so in an effort to curb crime in the state’s largest city. ‘I think those tactics are unwarranted and not something we’re going to be asking (for),’ Whitmer told reporters during a Monday morning event at Kentwood’s Hamilton Early Childhood Center, as filmed by WWMT-TV. […] Three of the eight Republicans running— Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township, former House Speaker Tom Leonard and former Attorney General Mike Cox — told Bridge during the Mackinac Island Republican Leadership Conference that Detroit’s high crime rates warranted the move.” [Bridge Michigan, 9/22/25]
December 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court Ruled Trump Did Not Have The Authority To Send National Guard Troops To Chicago For Domestic Law Enforcement, Prompting Trump To Withdraw National Guard Troops From Several U.S. Cities. According to BBC, “US President Donald Trump has said he is withdrawing National Guard troops from several US cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, after a Supreme Court ruling last week undermined his authority to use troops for policing. ‘We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social on New Year's Eve. Earlier on Tuesday, the Trump administration withdrew its legal attempts to keep control of troops deployed in LA. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not use troops in Chicago for domestic law enforcement. […] The Supreme Court ruled last week in Trump v Illinois that the president did not have the authority to send troops into Chicago.” [BBC, 12/31/25]
In Announcing His Withdrawal Of National Guard Troops In Several Cities After The U.S. Supreme Court Ruled He Could Not Deploy Troops Into Chicago Over Illinois Officials’ Objections, Trump “Suggested His Administration Would Not Hesitate To Deploy Troops In The Future.” According to the New York Times, “President Trump said on Wednesday that he would abandon, for now, efforts to deploy the National Guard in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore. The decision comes after the Supreme Court ruled last week that Mr. Trump could not deploy troops in the Chicago area over the objections of Illinois officials. The president’s announcement made no mention of the ruling, but he suggested his administration would not hesitate to deploy troops in the future. ‘We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again — Only a question of time,’ he wrote on Truth Social.” [New York Times, 12/31/25]
2025: The Trump Administration Faced Several Legal Challenges Over His Authority To Deploy National Guard Troops After He Deployed Federal Forces To Democratic-Run Cities, Which Critics Claimed Was An “Authoritarian” Overreach. According to BBC, “Trump's decision to order the deployment of National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities set off a series of legal cases challenging his authority to do so. The troops are normally under the authority of state governors. […] Trump has said the troops are needed to enforce the law and crack down on crime and illegal immigration. Critics deny that the troops are necessary, and accuse Trump of attempting an ‘authoritarian’ crackdown, which threatens democracy.” [BBC, 12/31/25]
October 2025: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Warned It Was A “Only A Matter Of Time” Until Trump Tried To Deploy Federal Forces To Michigan Cities, Similar To His Deployment Of Federal Forces In Los Angeles, Portland, And Chicago Despite Opposition From Their Governors. According to Michigan Public, “Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel predicts ‘it’s only a matter of time’ before President Donald Trump tries to send national guard troops to cities in the Great Lakes State. Trump has already sent soldiers to Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago, among other cities. That’s despite protests from the Democratic governors of those cities’ states.” [Michigan Public, 10/8/25]
January 206: Minnesota And Illinois Sued The Trump Administration Over The Deployment Of Federal Forces, Arguing They Were Violating The Tenth Amendment, Which Protected State Sovereignty. According to Politico, “The state of Minnesota and the municipal governments of Minneapolis and St. Paul filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to block the Department of Homeland Security from executing a planned surge of federal immigration officers to the Twin Cities. […] Earlier on Monday, Illinois officials filed a similar lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from conducting immigration enforcement in the state. Immigration agents have been conducting large-scale enforcement actions in Chicago for months. Both lawsuits argued the Trump administration is violating the Tenth Amendment, which protects the sovereignty of states. In a statement, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin criticized the legal argument used by both states.” [Politico, 1/12/26]
January 2026: The State Of Minnesota And The Twin Cities Sued The Trump Administration, Alleging An “Unprecedented Federal Immigration Operation In The State Is ‘A Federal Invasion.’” According to CNN, “The state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities are suing the Trump administration, arguing the unprecedented federal immigration operation in the state is ‘a federal invasion,’ and seeking a court order halting the crackdown, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.” [CNN, 1/12/26]
January 2026: The State Of Illinois And The City Of Chicago Sued The Trump Administration, Claiming The Department Of Homeland Security “Terrorized Residents In ‘Organized Bombardment.’” According to CNN, “The suit was filed shortly after Illinois and the city of Chicago also sued the Trump administration, alleging the Department of Homeland Security has terrorized residents in ‘organized bombardment.’ Both suits argue the federal government is violating the Tenth Amendment.” [CNN, 1/12/26]