Federal Judge Halts Trump‘s National Guard Deployment to Portland
A federal judge has blocked former President donald Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops from California to Portland, Oregon, citing concerns over the legality of the move.The decision follows a similar deployment authorization of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago,Illinois,under the pretext of protecting federal assets and personnel following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement.
The dispute arose after Trump authorized the deployment of approximately 400 members of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker vehemently opposed the plan, calling it “Trump’s invasion” and stating there was “no reason” to send troops into any state without the “knowledge, consent, or cooperation” of local officials. He warned the deployment would incite protests and create a “warzone” to justify the response, and urged Texas Governor Greg Abbott to “immediatly withdraw any support for this decision and refuse to co-ordinate.”
Governor Abbott responded by stating he “fully authorized” trump’s decision, asserting the need to “ensure safety for federal officials.” He stated, “You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it.”
The planned deployments came amidst ongoing protests in Portland and Chicago related to increased immigration enforcement. In Chicago, a protest on Saturday turned violent, with immigration authorities reporting an armed woman opened fire after protesters allegedly rammed vehicles into law enforcement. The woman drove herself to a hospital, and her condition remains unclear.
Portland has been a particular focus of Trump’s attention, due to what his supporters describe as a concentration of “Antifa” – a loosely organized movement of far-left activists – within the city. Trump previously signed an executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist institution.
The National Guard, the primary combat reserve of the Army and Air Force, can be deployed by either a state governor or the US president. While often used for disaster relief, it can also support military operations.Trump had previously directed National Guard deployments to Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, decisions that deviated from the typical practice of leaving deployments to state governors.
In september, a federal judge in California already ruled Trump’s deployment of the National guard to Los Angeles was illegal, violating an act limiting the federal government’s power to use military force domestically. The management is currently appealing that decision.
