U.S. President Donald Trump is facing a growing legal backlash after ordering National Guard troops into Portland, Oregon and Chicago, Illinois, moves that governors and courts say exceed his authority.
Federal judges in Oregon have temporarily blocked troop deployment, ruling that the protests there do not meet the constitutional threshold for military intervention. Similar lawsuits are now underway in Illinois, where Governor J.B. Pritzker called the deployment “outrageous and un-American.”
Trump has defended his decision by claiming both cities are “war zones” overrun by “domestic terrorists.” Local leaders, however, say demonstrations have been largely peaceful and that the administration’s actions are politically motivated.
Civil rights groups have accused federal agents of escalating violence near immigration facilities and using chemical agents on civilians. The White House says it will appeal the Oregon ruling, signaling that the battle over federal authority in U.S. cities is far from over.
