Judge extends the order blocking the deployment of the National Guard to Portland
A federal judge extends temporary orders blocking the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to Portland
A federal judge in Oregon on Wednesday extended temporary restraining orders that prevent the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to police Portland.
The deployment of National Guard troops is part of Trump's campaign to send military forces to a growing number of Democratic-led cities to suppress criminal violence and to support ICE raids.
The previous temporary restraining order halting the deployment of the National Guard in Portland was set to expire this week.
Judge Karin Immergut extended the order for fourteen days, citing the need to provide time for the court and appellate judges to consider the case.
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is currently considering whether to allow the government to deploy the National Guard to respond to protests against immigration raids in Portland, Oregon.
The Trump administration insists that Portland is monitored in violence due to protests outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility and is threatening to send more federal agents to control it.
In Portland, protests that deny that the city is dangerous have an original and defiant character, such as the Ride Bike Nude that took place on October 12 with hundreds of cyclists wearing little or no clothing, or the protests by demonstrators dressed as comic book characters in front of an ICE facility.
The Pentagon maintains 200 Oregon National Guard troops on active duty, but they have not been deployed due to a court order from Immergut, who was nominated by Trump.
Meanwhile, authorities in Oregon and Portland have insisted that the demonstrations are under control. The city also stated on its website that coordination with the White House “is becoming more difficult” due to orders that contradict its values ??and the law.
The Trump administration, the states of California and Oregon, and the city of Portland are still awaiting a ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield stated on social media that the Department of Justice will continue fighting to defend state laws and the Constitution during the hearing on October 29 to determine whether the troop deployment can occur or not.
Trump even threatened to use the old Insurrection Act, which dates back to the 19th century and allows the Executive branch to employ the United States Army to suppress protests and riots.
The Trump administration has warned of the potential deployment of the National Guard in several cities governed by Democrats, under the excuse of controlling crime or demonstrations.
This happened in Los Angeles in June, when the city was involved in a series of protests against immigration raids, as well as in Washington, DC. Trump has also threatened other Democratic cities such as Chicago or Boston.