The State of California's Chief Executive Newsom Initiates Lawsuit Against Donald Trump Over State Guard Dispatch to Oregon
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Sunday that he is filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump over the alleged dispatch of 300 California national guard members to the state of Oregon.
“Those forces are heading there as we speak,” Newsom remarked in his official statement. “The Trump Administration is unapologetically undermining the rule of law itself and enacting their risky rhetoric – ignoring judicial rulings and considering the judiciary, even presidential appointees, as foes.”
Judicial Background and Federal Ruling
The governor's legal action comes after a court decision that halted the White House from sending the Oregon's guard to Portland. US district judge Karin Immergut upheld arguments that it would escalate rather than calm conflict in the city.
The judge ruled in her decision, which puts off dispatching the troops until at least 18 October, that there was a insufficient proof that the current demonstrations in the city merited the move.
City Authorities React
Caroline Turco, a city attorney, noted that there had been an absence of violent incidents against Ice officers for an extended period and that the latest demonstrations were peaceful in the days before the national leader labeled the city to be a battlefield, occasionally involving fewer than a dozen protesters.
“This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power,” Newsom declared. “We will take this fight to court, but the people should speak out in the wake of such irresponsible and autocratic actions by the U.S. President.”
Oregon Attorney General Weighs In
Via a public comment online, Oregon attorney general Dan Rayfield expressed that the state is “quickly assessing our options and planning court proceedings.
“Donald Trump is obviously determined on using the armed forces in U.S. urban centers, absent proof or authority to do so,” his statement said. “It is up to us and the judicial system to hold him accountable. We are committed to this course.”
Federal and State Response
The California national guard referred questions to the Department of Defense. A department spokesperson offered no response. There was no immediate comment from the White House.
National Background
This development from the state came just a 24 hours after the President authorized the dispatch of national guard troops to Chicago, the latest in a succession of parallel actions across several states in the U.S..
Trump had originally declared the proposal on the 27th of September, claiming he was allowing complete use, if necessary” despite appeals from state authorities and the representatives from the state, who reported there had been a single, uneventful demonstration outside an immigration office.
Past Context
Historically, the President has promoted the account that the city is a conflict-torn urban center with activists engaging in disorder and illegal activities.
During his first term in 2020, he deployed national troops to the metropolis during the protests over the murder by law enforcement of a citizen in Minneapolis. The demonstrations extended across the nation but were notably severe in that city. Regardless of rallies against Ice being modest in size in the state currently, Trump has pointed to them as grounds to dispatch forces.
Commenting on X about the latest move from the President, the governor said: “It is outrageous. It’s un-American, and it must be stopped.”