Judge Rules Trump Administration Failed To Meet Legal Requirements For Deploying Troops To Portland

The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, followed a three-day trial last week.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge in Oregon ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration failed to meet the legal requirements for deploying the National Guard to Portland after the city and state sued in September to block the deployment.

The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, followed a three-day trial last week in which both sides argued over whether protests at the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building met the conditions for using the military domestically under federal law. The administration said the troops were needed to protect federal personnel and property.

In a 106-page opinion, Immergut found that even though the president is entitled to “great deference” in his decision on whether to call up the Guard, he did not have a legal basis for doing so because he did not establish that there was a rebellion or danger of rebellion, or that he was unable to enforce the law with regular forces.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democratic cities targeted by Trump for military involvement — including Chicago, which has filed a separate lawsuit on the issue — have been pushing back. They argue the president has not satisfied the legal threshold for deploying troops and that doing so would violate states’ sovereignty.