Gov. Tina Kotek praised U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut’s ruling Saturday that found President Donald Trump’s federal mobilization of Oregon National Guard troops to Portland violated federal law.
Here’s what Kotek and others are saying:
Gov. Tina Kotek:
“Today’s ruling validates what Oregonians already know: justice has been served, and the truth has prevailed. I want to thank Attorney General Rayfield and his team for great work.
“There is no insurrection in Portland. No threat to national security. No fires, no bombs, no fatalities due to civil unrest. The only threat we face is to our democracy — and it is being led by President Donald Trump.
“From day one, Oregon has been prepared. Our coordinated, rapid response — from legal action to intergovernmental planning — has allowed us to stand firm against a baseless and dangerous federal overreach. “While the President plays politics, Oregon will stay focused on solving the real problems facing our communities.
“This ruling puts us on the right side of history. And while the fight is far from over, Oregon remains united and ready to defend our values and our rights — today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes.“Thank you – stay calm, stay together, stay strong.”
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson:
Today, Portland got very good news: U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut hit the pause button on the Trump administration’s order to activate the National Guard and send federal troops to Portland.
“This decision reaffirms what we’ve long maintained: the federal government overstepped its authority. As the judge noted, we provided substantial evidence that the protests at the Portland ICE facility were not significantly violent or disruptive in the days—or even weeks—leading up to the President’s directive on September 27.
“Put simply, we won through peace. And we’ve shown we can hold those who engage in violence or destruction accountable.
“I’ve said from the very beginning, the number of federal troops needed or wanted in our city is zero.
“We accomplish more when we’re together, and we accomplish far more with peaceful, purposeful protest and legal process than we ever could by simply lashing out. We will continue to intervene when we see lawbreaking behavior, just as we’ll continue supporting the first amendment right to free expression.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield:
“The court agreed with our position. Today’s ruling is a healthy check on the president.
“It reaffirms what we already knew: Portland is not the president’s war-torn fantasy. Our city is not ravaged, and there is no rebellion. The president must demonstrate an actual threat based on real facts if he wants to put the National Guard on our streets. Members of the Oregon National Guard are not a tool for him to use in his political theater.”
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon:
“Today’s victory clearly supports what Oregonians already know: we don’t need or want Donald Trump to provoke conflict by deploying federal troops in our state. I will keep working with local and state officials to ensure Trump does not keep wasting millions of taxpayer dollars to make Portland the center of his perverse fantasy about conducting assaults on U.S. cities.”