President Donald Trump has sent federalized troops from California to Oregon after a court denied his attempt to deploy the National Guard in Portland.
The deployment circumvents a judge's order that blocked deploying troops in Portland by instead using National Guard members who were already serving in Los Angeles after summer protests there.
California Gov Gavin Newsom vowed to file a lawsuit over the manoeuvre, which he called a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.
Portland is the latest US city - many of which are Democrat-led - targeted as part of the president's crime crackdown. He has argued troops are necessary to restore peace amid ongoing protests over immigration enforcement.
The Pentagon confirmed 200 members of the California National Guard were reassigned to Portland to support US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal personnel performing official duties.
President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said.
She attacked Newsom, saying he should stand on the side of law-abiding citizens instead of violent criminals destroying Portland and cities across the country.
Over the summer, large protests erupted in Los Angeles after the city faced increased immigration raids. Trump had deployed the state's National Guard to quell unrest in June, a significant move as deployments are typically the responsibility of a state's governor. Newsom claimed that military involvement had inflamed tensions and was unnecessary. Trump argued that it saved the city from burning.
The same troops were then redeployed to Portland. This isn't about public safety, it's about power. The commander-in-chief is using the US military as a political weapon against American citizens, Newsom said. He indicated a willingness to fight this deployment in court, urging the public to voice their concerns about the president's actions.
Protests continue in Portland and elsewhere over the administration's heightened immigration enforcement. Trump has frequently criticized Portland, primarily due to its perceived connections to Antifa, a loosely organized group of far-left activists, which he recently labeled as a domestic terrorist organization.
The Portland troop deployment occurred one day after Trump authorized sending 300 National Guard troops to Chicago to combat crime, a city also grappling with protest activity related to immigration enforcement.
Chicago's protests escalated recently, with incidents of violence reported, including immigration authorities responding to an armed woman who allegedly rammed her vehicle into law enforcement units. Her condition remains unclear.
State and local leaders, like Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, have condemned Trump's deployment plans, calling them an abuse of power. Pritzker claimed Trump is manufacturing a crisis, suggesting the deployment will incite further protests. He accused the administration of creating a war zone to justify troop mobilization, insisting they want chaos to validate their actions.
