🔗 Share this article

The ninth circuit court has upheld a ban on deploying state troops in Portland, Oregon, after a recent court ruling.

Judicial Panel Concurs to Rehear Legal Matter

The ninth circuit court of appeals decided on Tuesday that it would reexamine the case concerning the executive power with an expanded group of 11 judges. The court also overturned a earlier decision from a smaller judicial group that had supported the federal government.

Ongoing Dispute Over Military Presence

This order represents the most recent development in a long-running court case over whether the administration has the legal right and justification to send state military units in Portland. Approximately two hundred troops have been in limbo since the end of September when the deployment effort was started in response to months of protests.

Differing Viewpoints

The federal government has claimed that federal officials at the ICE facility in the southern part of the city were facing threats, while local authorities assert that municipal police have control of the situation.

Contrary to characterizations of Portland as “war ravaged”, residents have been sharing footage of scenic paths and a thriving food scene, and organizing events such as an protest bicycle event against the “militarization of our city”.

Court Proceedings

The appeals court decision came after a federal judge in Portland issued two temporary restraining orders this period – one preventing the federalization of the Oregon national guard, and another prohibiting the deployment of any national guard troops in Oregon, after efforts to evade the initial injunction by mobilizing out-of-state forces.

On Monday, the ninth circuit panel had temporarily suspended the initial decision – permitting command of 200 Oregon national guard – but the second ruling stayed effective, preventing the actual deployment of the troops.

Full Panel Consideration

The Tuesday decision means the issue will be heard by the full court – with both rulings under consideration together – by a panel of eleven justices.

“This decision shows that the truth matters and that the judicial system are striving to hold this administration accountable. The constitution restricts the president’s power, and Oregon’s communities cannot be treated as a testing site for expansive government power,” said the state attorney general in a official comment.

“The judicial body is sending a clear message: the president cannot send the armed forces into American urban areas without cause. We will continue defending Oregon’s laws, principles, and autonomy as this legal proceeding moves forward and our legal battle continues in the judicial system.”