Federal-State Tensions Escalate: Trump Deploys National Guard to Chicago, Portland Troop Blocked by Judge
Federal-State Tensions Escalate: Trump Deploys National Guard to Chicago, Portland Troop Blocked by Judge
A significant power struggle between the Trump administration and Democrat-led cities intensified this weekend, with President Trump authorizing the deployment of hundreds of National Guard members to Chicago, even as a federal judge in Oregon temporarily halted his plan to send federal troops to Portland.
The moves come amidst ongoing protests in both cities, largely centered on the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement agenda. While the White House characterizes the demonstrations as “violent riots” necessitating military intervention, state and city leaders, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, insist protests have been largely peaceful and local law enforcement is capable of managing any unrest.
In Chicago, tensions peaked Saturday after US Customs and Border Protection agents reportedly fired “defensive shots” at a woman who allegedly rammed a federal vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security identified the woman as 30-year-old Marimar Martinez, now in FBI custody facing federal charges alongside Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, 21, for their alleged involvement. Governor Pritzker slammed the administration’s actions, accusing them of escalating tensions and provoking residents, stating, “They need to get out of Chicago if they’re not going to focus on the worst of the worst.”
Meanwhile, in Portland, District Judge Karin Immergut issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday, blocking Trump’s federal troop deployment. The judge, a Trump appointee, ruled that the administration likely exceeded its constitutional authority and violated the Tenth Amendment, finding “no danger of a rebellion” that local law enforcement couldn’t handle. The Trump administration has swiftly filed an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. California Governor Gavin Newsom has also announced plans to sue over the deployment of 300 California National Guard members to Oregon following the judge’s ruling, calling it a “breathtaking abuse of the law and power.”
As protests continued outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland, with reports of federal agents deploying pepper balls and tear gas, the legal and political battles over federal intervention in local affairs are expected to escalate further in the coming days.
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