() California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Sunday, President Trump is sending 300 California National Guard troops to Oregon.
Trump’s decision comes after a judge blocked his administration from deploying Oregon’s guard to Portland.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut in Portland marks another hurdle for Trump, a Republican, in his attempts to deploy the military to cities he claims are beset with lawlessness, despite the opposition from their Democratic leaders.
“The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens,” Newsom said in the statement.
“We will challenge this in court, but the public must not remain silent against such reckless and authoritarian actions by the president of the United States,” stated Newsom.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has recently been the site of nightly protests.
Trump has portrayed both Portland and Chicago as cities plagued with crime and disorder, labeling Portland a “war zone” and suggesting extreme measures were necessary to address issues in Chicago. Since his second term began, he has either sent or considered sending troops to a total of 10 cities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
