PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Sunday that President Trump has deployed 300 California National Guard members to Portland.
This comes in spite of a Saturday ruling from a federal judge in Oregon, which temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard in Portland.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the order pending further arguments in the suit, brought on by the state and city, noting the protests did not justify the use of federalized forces and allowing the deployment could harm Oregon’s state sovereignty.
However, the Trump administration filed a notice of appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Saturday.
Then Gov. Newsom confirmed in a post on X that President Trump had deployed the California National Guard personnel, who are currently on their way to Oregon.
Additionally, Newsom pledged Sunday to fight the move in court.
“His deployment of the California National Guard to Oregon isn’t about crime. It’s about power,” Newsom said in a statement. “He is using our military as political pawns to build up his own ego. It’s appalling. It’s un-American. And it must stop.”
In a release, Newsom’s office noted the California troops being sent to Portland had originally been federalized months ago in response to the protests in Los Angeles back in June.
“Conditions that never necessitated their deployment in the first place, and have long since subsided anyway,” they added.
The ICE building located in Southwest Portland has been the site of nightly protests that typically drew a couple dozen people in recent weeks before the deployment was announced.
However, Saturday’s protest drew a crowd of hundreds. Further, federal agents took several protesters into custody – including one of the event’s organizers – and deployed tear gas and pepper balls at least three times throughout the day.
There was also noticeable contingent of counter-protesters among those gathered at the ICE facility throughout the day.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security have not responded to a KOIN 6 News request for details on how many people were arrested on Saturday.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story.
Jenna Deml
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