A federal judge on Saturday stopped President Donald Trump’s plan to send National Guard troops to Portland, ruling the deployment would violate constitutional limits on military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump nominee, issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administration from sending hundreds of troops to the Oregon city, the New York Post reported. The judge found Trump’s assessment of the situation did not match reality.
“The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts,” Immergut wrote in her ruling.
The judge said that protests outside a south Portland immigration facility remained mostly peaceful before Trump’s order. “Overall, the protests were small and uneventful,” the Post quoted her as saying. (RELATED: National Guard ‘Now In Place’ In Blue City Plagued By Anti-ICE Riots, Trump Says)
The White House quickly disputed the ruling. “President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement — we expect to be vindicated by a higher court,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said.
The restraining order expires in 14 days.
Federal immigration officials said the ICE detention center has faced attacks for more than 100 straight nights with minimal help from local police.
On Saturday, federal agents fired tear gas, mace and pepper spray at hundreds of protesters who marched to the facility. Trump on Friday also ordered his administration to identify federal funds to cut from Portland as punishment for the ongoing unrest.
“We will not fund states that allow anarchy,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
