SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a significant escalation between state and federal authority, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of 300 National Guard members from California to Oregon. This decision comes after a federal judge blocked a plan by the Trump administration to send the Oregon National Guard to Portland, where nightly protests have been occurring over federal enforcement actions.
Governor Newsom condemned the federal government's actions, calling it a breathtaking abuse of the law and power, characterizing President Trump as wielding military might as a political weapon. He also promised to pursue legal avenues to contest this deployment.
The announcement was made informally, with neither the White House nor the Pentagon issuing immediate comments on the matter. Newsom stated that the California troops were en route to assist in a situation he described as indicative of President Trump's authoritarian approach toward governance.
A federal judge, appointed by Trump, issued a temporary restraining order on the use of Oregon's National Guard, citing that the protests in Portland did not warrant federal troops and that their deployment could infringe upon the state's sovereignty.
Protests have surged recently, particularly around the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, reflecting tensions over federal immigration policies and local governance. Trump's rhetoric about cities like Portland and Chicago being crime-ridden, including descriptors like war zone, has heightened the conflict between state-level officials and the federal government.
The controversies surrounding the deployment of military assets in domestic situations have sparked discussions over the balance of power between state and federal entities, with significant implications for civil rights and governance. Additionally, as seen in recent weeks, federal troops have been contemplated or dispatched to multiple cities experiencing unrest, weaving further complexities into national debates surrounding law enforcement and civil liberties.