Judge prevents Trump from deploying National Guard to Portland, Oregon.
A federal judge has ruled that President Trump cannot deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, marking a significant legal setback for his administration. This ruling comes in response to Trump’s announcement of plans to send 200 Guard members to the city amid ongoing protests. Following the decision, the administration promptly filed an appeal late Saturday.
District Judge Karin Immergut, appointed by Trump in 2019, issued a concise and powerful statement in her ruling, emphasizing the importance of the nation’s tradition of resisting government overreach, especially concerning military involvement in civilian affairs. She underscored that the United States operates under constitutional law rather than martial law.
During his current term, President Trump has dispatched National Guard troops to cities such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., while also threatening similar actions in other metropolitan areas, including Chicago and Memphis. His decisions, however, have faced scrutiny and opposition from federal judges who have deemed these deployments unconstitutional on several occasions.
The context of the ruling stems from a series of protests in Portland, which have centered around the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office and are emblematic of the city’s liberal political climate and active civic engagement. Initially, these protests had been modest, attracting only a few dozen participants each night before Trump’s announcement regarding the National Guard. Judge Immergut remarked that the protests had been largely uneventful, with the presence of the National Guard being unwarranted given the situation on the ground.
Immergut highlighted that while the president has considerable authority over National Guard deployments, there was nothing in Portland that local authorities could not manage effectively. A large protest on September 28, the same day Trump announced his intention to deploy troops, resulted in no arrests, reflecting a peaceful atmosphere.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield echoed sentiments of local leadership, asserting that Portland is far from a “war-torn fantasy,” and labeled the idea of using Oregon National Guard members as tools for political theater as inappropriate. The discussion surrounding the presence of federal troops in Portland continues to evoke strong reactions, shedding light on the broader national debate over federal authority in local matters.
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