California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Sunday that former President Donald Trump had activated 300 members of the California National Guard for deployment to Portland, Oregon a move Newsom called “a breathtaking abuse of power.”
According to Newsom, Trump’s order came after a federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked the administration from sending that state’s own National Guard troops to Portland. The Democratic governor vowed to challenge Trump’s directive in court, accusing the president of using U.S. military forces for political purposes.
“The commander-in-chief is using the military as a political weapon against American citizens,” Newsom said. “We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian behavior.”
There was no official announcement from Washington, mirroring a similar situation in Illinois the day before, when Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed that National Guard troops were activated for Chicago without prior notice.
Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday, halting Trump’s plan to deploy Oregon’s National Guard. The judge ruled that the scale of Portland’s protests did not justify federal intervention and warned that such action could violate Oregon’s state sovereignty.
The protests in Portland, centered near the ICE building, have largely remained peaceful, though Trump has described the city as “war-ravaged” and a “war zone.” His comments have been widely dismissed by Oregon residents as exaggerated.
Since beginning his second term, Trump has sent or discussed sending troops to ten U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago both of which drew sharp criticism from Democratic leaders. Newsom previously sued the Trump administration over an earlier military deployment to California.
Trump defended the moves as necessary to protect federal officers and property, while critics argue they represent unprecedented federal overreach into local affairs.
Comments
Post a Comment