PORTLAND, Ore. — The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is holding a hearing at 9 a.m. on Thursday to decide whether or not the Trump administration can deploy National Guard troops in Portland.

This hearing is the latest in an escalating legal battle between the federal government and local leadership, centered on protests at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland's South Waterfront district.

The administration has argued that the troops are needed to help protect the building, where for several months a small group of demonstrators has gathered outside, leading to occasional clashes with federal agents guarding the building — but local officials have said the administration is grossly exaggerating the scale of the incidents.

Over the weekend, U.S. District

See Full Page