President Donald Trump has ordered 300 California National Guard troops to Portland to replace troops from Oregon’s National Guard after a court order blocked their deployment, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is challenging the cross-border deployment in court, Newsom said Sunday.
“In response to a federal court order that blocked his attempt to federalize the Oregon National Guard, President Trump is deploying 300 California National Guard personnel into Oregon. They are on their way there now. This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power,” Newsom said in a statement Sunday. “The Trump administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself and putting into action their dangerous words — ignoring court orders and treating judges, even those appointed by the president himself, as political opponents.
“This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power. The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens. We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the president of the United States.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
Trump ordered Oregon’s guard troops to Portland on Sept. 28 to help local law enforcement amid what he has described as a serious crime wave in that city. Local officials have disputed the accuracy of that assessment, and on Saturday a U.S. district judge appointed by Trump in his first term granted a temporary restraining order blocking that deployment. The judge said the city has seen relatively minor street protests that did not rise to the level of urgency characterized by Trump.
“President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement — we expect to be vindicated by a higher court,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said.
Trump deployed California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to help protect federal facilities after violence broke out in June in response to the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. That move was assailed as unnecessary and provocative by Newsom and top Democratic officials in Los Angeles, including Mayor Karen Bass, and is also being challenged in court.