Washington [US], October 6: The administration of US President Donald Trump has mobilized the California National Guard to Portland, Oregon, and state leaders have announced they will file a lawsuit.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said on October 5 that about 100 members of the California National Guard were in Oregon and more would be added. Ms. Kotek said the US government's use of guards from other states to Portland was to circumvent the Oregon judge's ruling, CNN reported.
"There is no need for military intervention in Oregon. There are no riots in Portland. There is no threat to national security. Oregon is our home, not a military target," Kotek said, adding that the federal government had not given advance notice of the deployment of the Guard in Portland and the state would appeal in court.
In addition, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on October 5 that he would sue the federal government. He said that the deployment of the California National Guard to Portland violated a previous Oregon court order.
Earlier on October 4, Oregon District Court Judge Karin Immergut ruled that President Trump could not mobilize the Oregon National Guard. Ms. Immergut said that Mr. Trump's argument that Portland is experiencing daily unrest as a justification for deploying the Guard was not based on facts.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said that President Trump exercised his legal authority to protect federal property and personnel in Portland after violent clashes and attacks on law enforcement, according to CBS News on October 5.
The deployment of the National Guard is part of Mr. Trump's moves to crack down on crime and arrest immigrants in states where officials in Democratic-controlled states have reported an increase in federal agents.
In Chicago, Illinois, authorities say about 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since early September. In some cases, federal agents have flown in by helicopter to storm apartments and arrest people, using heavy tear gas and smoke bombs. "They're making it look like a war zone," Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
