WASHINGTON (AP) — 200 members of the Oregon State Guard are placed under federal control and deployed to protect immigration enforcement officers and government facilities, according to a Department of Defense memo received by state leaders on Sunday.
The development is similar to last summer in Los Angeles, when protesters demonstrated their deportation operations, but Much smaller scale.
There were no immediate comments from the White House. Multiple Pentagon officials were contacted, but no one confirmed or denied the credibility of the memo.
President Donald Trump had it It was announced on Saturday He would send troops to Portland. Democrat Tina Kotek, the state governor, said she opposed the development in a conversation with the president on Sunday.
“Oregon is our home and not a military target,” she said in a statement.
State Attorney General Dan Rayfield said he is filing a federal lawsuit alleging Trump overestimates his authority.
“What we’re looking at is not public safety,” he said. “It’s about the president spoofing law and order, bending political muscles and chasing media hits at the expense of our community.”
The pentagonal memo provided by the Oregon leader directly compared the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in Los Angeles in June with the proposed deployment to the state, adding that “the memorandum will implement further direction for the president.”
The memorandum of understanding did not specifically cite Portland as a target for the proposed deployment in a social media post Saturday, but said he directed the Pentagon at the request of Homeland Security Secretary Christinom.
“I allow full power if necessary,” Trump added.
Unlike Los Angeles, it doesn’t appear that Trump or Hegses is currently instructing the nation to deploy active duty forces. Trump administration Approximately 700 active Marines have been deployed. They were like that but in Los Angeles It was withdrawn after more than a month.
The lawsuit will also be far less than Trump’s deployment in Washington, D.C., which is owned by more than 1,000 National Guard troops, including units from other states. I patrol the streets A few weeks. He also suggests he does so Send the army to Chicagobut so far, I haven’t.
