President Donald Trump has ordered the federal deployment of California National Guard troops to Oregon following a court’s denial of his request to send the National Guard to Portland. Instead of deploying troops in response to the court’s ruling, the administration reassigned 200 Guard members who had been stationed in Los Angeles after summer protests there.
California Governor Gavin Newsom indicated plans to file a lawsuit against this deployment, describing it as a misuse of legal authority. The Trump administration contends that the presence of troops is necessary to maintain order amid ongoing protests regarding immigration enforcement, particularly as Portland has been the target of federal operations related to crime reduction.
The Pentagon announced that the troops would “support US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal personnel performing official duties” in Portland. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated that Trump was acting within his lawful authority to protect federal assets, citing a series of riots and attacks on law enforcement as justification for the deployment.
Prior to the deployment in Portland, significant protests occurred in Los Angeles, coinciding with heightened immigration raids. Trump previously deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June, an action Newsom criticized as unnecessary and a factor in escalating tensions. Critics, including Governor Newsom, argue that the use of military personnel for domestic issues reflects a concerning political strategy rather than a genuine public safety concern.
Trump’s deployment of troops to Oregon came shortly after he authorized the deployment of additional National Guard members to Chicago, which has also experienced unrest related to immigration enforcement. Both state and local leaders in Illinois have expressed opposition to these orders, with accusations of political manipulation in response to civil unrest.
As protests continue to unfold, questions arise regarding the implications of federal military involvement in local law enforcement matters.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c740elm70z7o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss