Federal Appeals Court Approves Trump’s Portland National Guard Deployment

A federal appeals court has cleared the way for former President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, overturning a lower court’s temporary block. The decision allows up to 200 Guard members to be sent to protect federal buildings amid ongoing protests, intensifying a legal clash between the federal government and Oregon state authorities.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision that the President likely acted within his legal authority in federalizing the Oregon National Guard. The ruling reverses an earlier U.S. District Court stay that had prevented the deployment.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown strongly opposed the move, calling it an overreach of federal power and raising concerns about states’ control over their National Guard units during domestic unrest. The lower court judge had questioned the Trump administration’s characterization of Portland as a “war zone,” noting that law enforcement could manage scattered incidents of violence.

In her dissent, one appeals court judge warned that the ruling could erode constitutional protections, including states’ traditional authority over militias and citizens’ First Amendment rights to protest. She criticized the majority for accepting the “war zone” rationale as a basis for deploying federal troops.

The decision highlights ongoing tensions between federal authority and state sovereignty. Legal experts suggest it could set a precedent for future disputes over military involvement in domestic demonstrations.