A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Portland after more than 100 consecutive days of raging anti-ICE protests.
US District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump nominee, ruled Saturday that deploying active-duty troops to secure the “war ravaged” Oregon city would violate the US Constitution and federal law barring military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
“The relationship between the federal government and the states, between the military and domestic law enforcement, and the balance of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government,” she wrote in her ruling.
“Whether we choose to follow what the Constitution mandates with respect to these three relationships goes to the heart of what it means to live under the rule of law in the United States.”
In her ruling, Karin pointed out that demonstrations held outside a south Portland immigration facility were not notably violent or disruptive in the days and weeks before Trump’s order.
“Overall, the protests were small and uneventful,” she wrote.
“The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.”
The temporary restraining order blocking Trump’s move will expire in 14 days.
“President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement — we expect to be vindicated by a higher court,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Post.
Last week, the commander in chief announced plans to send 200 National Guard troops to Portland to support immigration authorities and fend off “domestic terrorists” using “full force, if necessary.”
He then ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to unleash “all necessary troops.”
State officials immediately sued to block the president from deploying troops – which Trump has already sent to Democratic-run cities where protests have erupted, including Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Chicago and Memphis.
Since June, wild protests have rocked Portland, where Antifa agitators – some in freakish getups – have swarmed an ICE detention center, vandalizing the site as violent clashes with federal agents flare.
Federal immigration officials argued the facility has been under attack for more than 100 straight nights – with little backup from local cops, who have been reportedly ordered to stand down by city officials.
To punish local officials for the ongoing unrest, Trump on Friday ordered his administration to identify federal funds to cut in Portland.
“I just spoke with the president about this, and he has directed his team here at the White House to begin reviewing aid that can potentially be cut in Portland,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced during a rare Friday briefing.
“We will not fund states that allow anarchy. There will also be an additional surge of federal resources to Portland immediately. Law and order will prevail and President Trump will make sure of it.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi also launched an investigation into the Portland Police Bureau after officers on Thursday arrested conservative reporter Nick Sortor while covering the chaos.
With Post wires.
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