Trump team urges Oregon judge to end restraining order blocking National Guard
In a significant legal battle unfolding in Oregon, the Trump administration is seeking to lift a federal restraining order that currently prevents the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland. During a recent court hearing, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by Trump, was urged by government lawyers to allow the president to proceed with his plans to send troops as part of his administration’s law enforcement strategy in the city. The administration argues that a recent ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals supports Trump’s authority to deploy the National Guard in response to what he describes as rampant crime and unrest in Portland—a city often characterized by its liberal politics and a history of protests. Immergut indicated that she would make a decision by Monday, balancing the 9th Circuit’s ruling with new arguments presented during the hearing.
The context of this legal struggle is rooted in the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and local Democratic leaders, who have criticized the president’s characterization of crime in Portland as exaggerated. In a statement reflecting his frustrations, Trump described the city as “burning down,” asserting that his administration’s intervention is necessary to restore order. Opposing counsel from Oregon contended that Trump’s proposal to send 200 National Guard troops from other states was unjustifiable and an excessive response to the situation on the ground. This court saga has seen Judge Immergut issue multiple restraining orders to prevent the deployment, with the administration now appealing these decisions. Although the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of Trump in one aspect of the case, the overall legal landscape remains uncertain, with further judicial reviews anticipated. A broader question regarding the president’s authority to deploy National Guard troops in other states, such as Illinois, is also expected to reach the Supreme Court, indicating that the administration’s legal challenges are far from resolved.
As the situation develops, the implications of these court decisions extend beyond Portland, reflecting a larger national debate over law enforcement powers and the appropriate use of military resources in civilian contexts. The outcomes of these hearings could set significant precedents for how federal and state governments interact regarding law enforcement and public safety, particularly in politically charged environments. The ongoing legal battles in Oregon and elsewhere underscore the complexities of governance in a divided political landscape, with both sides preparing for a lengthy legal confrontation that could shape the future of federal intervention in local law enforcement matters.
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The Trump administration urged a federal judge during a hearing in Oregon on Friday to terminate a restraining order and clear the way for the government to deploy
National Guard
troops in Portland.
The administration argued to Judge Karin Immergut that a higher court had already greenlit President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard there. Immergut, a Trump appointee, said she would decide by Monday whether to toss out her order.
“[I’ll be] working as fast as I can to get a decision that honors the 9th Circuit decision but also takes into account some of the new arguments and new information that’s been provided,” Immergut said.
TRUMP WINS BIG IN NATIONAL GUARD CASE, BUT COURT FIGHTS ARE FAR FROM OVER
The Trump administration has remained blocked from deploying the reserved troops to support the president’s law enforcement crackdown in Portland, a liberal haven that Trump claims is rife with illegal immigrants, street crime and threats to federal law enforcement.
“I looked at Portland over the weekend, the place is burning down, just burning down,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office this week.
Immergut’s hearing was only the latest in a
string of clashes
between local Democratic leaders and the president over their division of law enforcement powers. The president has claimed he is authorized to deploy National Guard troops in cities to support federal immigration enforcement officers, while several blue states and cities claim Trump is wildly mischaracterizing the level of crime and unrest and that military reinforcements are unwarranted and encroach on their sovereignty.
WHITE HOUSE REBUKES ‘EGREGIOUS’ COURT ORDER BLOCKING TROOP DEPLOYMENTS AMID PORTLAND UNREST
A lawyer arguing on behalf of Oregon told Immergut on Friday that Trump’s attempt to deploy 200 National Guard soldiers from other states into Portland had “no justification whatsoever.”
The lawyer called it a “grossly disproportionate response to the situation.”
The court saga in Oregon began when Immergut issued two back-to-back restraining orders blocking Trump from deploying California National Guard soldiers to Portland and blocking Trump from deploying any National Guard soldiers to Portland, respectively.
The government appealed the first order, and a 9th Circuit panel decided this week in a 2-1 decision to side with Trump in that matter. But a full bench of judges might now reconsider that decision, and Immergut’s second order also remains intact, meaning Trump currently cannot deploy the National Guard to Oregon.
A Department of Justice lawyer said the 9th Circuit panel’s decision halting Immergut’s first order means both of her orders should “rise and fall together.”
“I just don’t know that there’s any way around that,” the lawyer said.
The 9th Circuit panel had found that Trump was likely to succeed in his case as it proceeds through the courts and also accused Immergut of discounting months of violence and disruptions in Portland over the summer.
Regardless of what Immergut does with her remaining active restraining order, the court fights are far from over as the existing orders from the courts have all been on an emergency basis.
A similar question about Trump’s use of the National Guard in Illinois is pending before the
Supreme Court.
In Oregon, Immergut is also holding a short trial next week to make a more long-term finding about Trump’s use of the National Guard in that state.
Fox News’ Lee Ross contributed.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
