A federal judge in the United States has temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s administration’s decision to deploy National Guard units to the city of Portland.
The temporary order was issued by Judge Karin Immergut of the federal court for the District of Oregon in a case brought by city and state authorities against the Trump administration.
In her decision, Judge Immergut noted that the case contains “a significant amount of evidence.” She noted that until the final decision is announced, the deployment of the National Guard to Portland should be suspended. The judge stressed that reports of the protests were “largely exaggerated” and that much of the violence occurred between the demonstrators themselves and their opponents. Immergut also said there was no convincing evidence of “serious damage” to the immigration facilities at the center of the protests.
Judge Immergut previously issued a similar ruling in early October temporarily blocking the Trump administration from deploying about 200 National Guard troops in Portland and throughout Oregon.
Trump’s military response to Democratic-dominated cities
The Washington administration had previously sent National Guard units to Guards to Los Angeles to control protests against immigration policies, and then to Washington, D.C. to “fight crime.” Trump’s decision to deploy National Guardsmen in the capital to establish federal control over the police and patrol the streets drew criticism and was characterized as a “dangerous attempt to usurp power.” On October 4, federal authorities sent about 200 National Guardsmen to Portland, and on October 6, about 400 troops from Texas to be stationed in Oregon, Illinois and other states. Several state authorities have filed lawsuits against these decisions.