WASHINGTON: A federal judge ruled on Friday that former US President Donald Trump unlawfully ordered National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, in an effort to quell protests, marking a legal setback for the administration’s use of the military in American cities. The decision permanently blocks Trump’s use of military force in Portland, replacing an earlier interim order.
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Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, stated that the administration had no lawful basis to claim a rebellion was occurring or that federal law could not be enforced by local authorities. In her 106-page ruling, she noted that the protests were small-scale, isolated, and largely contained by local police, posing minimal interference to federal officers.
The White House defended the action, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson saying Trump acted within his authority to protect federal officers and that the administration expects to be vindicated by a higher court. The ruling, however, underscores longstanding norms against deploying troops on US soil for domestic protests.
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The case stems from a September lawsuit by the City of Portland and Oregon Attorney General’s Office, which argued that the administration exaggerated incidents of violence to justify sending troops under laws intended for cases of armed rebellion. The administration is likely to appeal, potentially bringing the matter to the Supreme Court.