Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday said he will sue President Donald Trump’s administration for deploying hundreds of members of the California National Guard to Portland, Oregon. The governor said 300 California National Guard members were en route to Portland as of Sunday morning after a federal court blocked the Trump administration from federalizing Oregon’s National Guard. “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 development comes as the Trump Administration attempts to ramp up military presence in Democratic-run cities that the administration says have been overrun with crime. A federal judge in Oregon on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland to protect federal property amid protests after Trump called the city “war-ravaged.” Oregon officials and Portland residents have said that description was ludicrous.U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, issued the order pending further arguments in the suit. She said the relatively small protests the city has seen did not justify the use of federalized forces and allowing the deployment could harm Oregon’s state sovereignty.It was not immediately clear when exactly Gov. Newsom’s administration would file the lawsuit challenging the Cal Guard deployment.A spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday said he will sue President Donald Trump’s administration for deploying hundreds of members of the California National Guard to Portland, Oregon.
The governor said 300 California National Guard members were en route to Portland as of Sunday morning after a federal court blocked the Trump administration from federalizing Oregon’s National Guard.
“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 development comes as the Trump Administration attempts to ramp up military presence in Democratic-run cities that the administration says have been overrun with crime.
A federal judge in Oregon on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland to protect federal property amid protests after Trump called the city “war-ravaged.” Oregon officials and Portland residents have said that description was ludicrous.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, issued the order pending further arguments in the suit. She said the relatively small protests the city has seen did not justify the use of federalized forces and allowing the deployment could harm Oregon’s state sovereignty.
It was not immediately clear when exactly Gov. Newsom’s administration would file the lawsuit challenging the Cal Guard deployment.
A spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel