Federal judge blocks Trump admin from sending troops to Portland
A federal judge in Oregon has put a temporary halt to the Trump administration’s plan to send hundreds of National Guard troops to Portland after more than 100 days of ongoing anti-ICE protests.
US District Judge Karin Immergut, appointed by Trump, issued the order on Saturday, stating that the president’s proposal to utilize active-duty military to secure the troubled Oregon city would violate the US Constitution.
“The relationship between the federal government and the states, between the military and domestic law enforcement, and the balance of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government,” she wrote in her ruling.
The temporary restraining order preventing Trump’s action will be in effect for 14 days.
Last week, Trump announced his intention to deploy 200 National Guard troops to Portland to assist immigration authorities and combat what he referred to as “domestic terrorists,” using “full force, if necessary.”
State officials promptly filed a lawsuit to prevent Trump from sending the troops, which had already been dispatched to Democratic-led cities like Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Chicago, and Memphis, to Portland.
Trump responded by instructing his administration to identify federal funds that could be cut in Portland.
“I just spoke with the president about this, and he has directed his team here at the White House to begin reviewing aid that can potentially be cut in Portland,” White House press secretary Karolina Leavitt announced during a rare Friday briefing.
“We will not fund states that allow anarchy. There will also be an additional surge of federal resources to Portland immediately. Law and order will prevail and President Trump will make sure of it.”
Since June, chaotic protests have been ongoing in south Portland, where Antifa activists, some in peculiar attire, have besieged an ICE detention center, causing damage to the site and engaging in violent clashes with federal agents.
Federal immigration officials report that the facility has been under siege for over 100 consecutive nights, with minimal assistance from local law enforcement, who have allegedly been instructed to stand down by city officials.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has initiated an investigation into the Portland Police Bureau following the arrest of conservative reporter Nick Sortor while he was covering the unrest on Thursday.
The situation in Portland remains tense as the legal battle over the deployment of National Guard troops continues.
