US President Donald Trump’s administration is sending National Guard troops to the western state of Oregon from neighboring California.
Last month, Trump ordered the Department of Defense to deploy troops to the city of Portland. He said the move was aimed at protecting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities from terrorists.
But on Saturday, a federal district court in Oregon issued a temporary restraining order barring the deployment of the Oregon National Guard. The judge said Trump’s basis to federalize the Guard fell short of the high bar required to justify a deployment without the approval of the state’s governor.
The Department of Defense announced on Sunday, “At the direction of the President, approximately 200 federalized members of the California National Guard are being reassigned from duty in the greater Los Angeles area to Portland.”
In a statement, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, called the president’s action “a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.” He said, “The Trump Administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself — ignoring court orders.”
Some of the California National Guard members have reportedly already arrived in Oregon.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, who is also a Democrat, said, “There is no need for military intervention in Oregon. There is no insurrection in Portland.”
AloJapan.com