U.S. Judge Rules Trump Illegally Deployed National Guard to Portland

U.S. Judge Rules Trump Illegally Deployed National Guard to Portland
A U.S. federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump acted unlawfully when he ordered the deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, during protests in 2020. The court found that Trump’s actions violated constitutional limits on the use of military force within the country, marking a rare legal rebuke of a sitting president’s domestic deployment powers. The decision stated that the order breached long-standing norms that restrict federal troops from engaging in civilian law enforcement. Trump had claimed the move was necessary to control violent unrest following nationwide demonstrations over racial justice. The ruling underscores concerns about executive overreach and the balance of power between federal and state authorities. Legal experts say the verdict sets a precedent reaffirming civilian rights and the restricted use of military force on U.S. soil, a principle largely upheld since the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.