President Donald Trump is sending 300 California National Guard members to Portland, Oregon, a move that comes shortly after a federal judge blocked his administration from using Oregon’s own guard in the city, California Governor Gavin Newsom said.
Trump has reportedly turned to California’s National Guard in seeking to crack down on anti-immigration raid protests and crime in Portland, a famously politically progressive city that he characterizes as “war-ravaged.”
That’s after a federal judge refused to allow Trump to federalize Oregon’s National Guard for now, casting doubt on Trump’s claims that Portland is riddled with daily unrest.
Newsom’s office announced Trump’s decision Sunday, accusing the president of “flouting the law” by using members of California’s National Guard. The California Governor said he plans to sue Trump to stop him from using members of his state’s guard – the second time such lawsuit has arisen.
“His deployment of the California National Guard to Oregon isn’t about crime. It’s about power. He is using our military as political pawns to build up his own ego,” Newsom said.
President Donald Trump turned to California’s National Guard after failing to utilize Oregon’s (Getty Images)
The White House did not make an official announcement about using California’s National Guard in Portland. Similarly, the White House did not formally announce its intention to federalize the Illinois National Guard – Illinois Governor JB Pritzker did.
The Independent has asked the White House for comment.
Federalizing a state’s National Guard is a controversial move that is rarely invoked. But Trump has pushed the boundaries of his executive power in seeking to control immigration and crime in major U.S. cities, mostly Democratic-led.
In June, Trump invoked 4,000 members of California’s National Guard after small anti-ICE protests broke out in Los Angeles in response to sweeping immigration raids.
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