Does Federal Law Extend to Portlandia?

Civitas Institute ^ | 10/22/2025 | John Yoo

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The President can use the military to protect federal facilities and federal personnel carrying out legitimate federal functions.

Supporting the disorder outside federal buildings, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson claims that “the right wing in this country wants a rematch of the Civil War.” He has one thing right. But, in a result that would have shocked his state’s most favored son, Abraham Lincoln, the mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, are relying upon the discredited theories of Confederates and segregationists to unconstitutionally resist federal authority. President Trump has no choice but to deploy military units to protect federal agents and to appeal to the Supreme Court to vindicate the supremacy of the national government over immigration.

Portland and Chicago have seen violent protests outside of federal buildings, attacks on ICE and DHS agents, and organized efforts to block the enforcement of immigration law. President Trump has ordered the deployment of National Guard units to protect federal officers and facilities. Although local officials have raised cries of a federal “occupation” and “dictatorship,” Article II of the Constitution places on the President the duty to “take care that the laws are faithfully executed.” Illinois leaders cannot seriously argue that this authority somehow excludes the removal of aliens here in violation of the immigration laws.

Nevertheless, blue state leaders have decided to make a stand — against the President, not the violent rioters in the streets. In a bid to block deployment of the National Guard, Pritzker and Governor Tina Kotek of Oregon have sued on the grounds that the White House needs their permission to deploy the National Guard. Mayor Johnson has created “ICE Free Zones” that bar federal officers from public property. San Francisco district attorney Brooke Jenkins threatens to prosecute federal officers engaged in immigration operations, or...

[rlmorel]

Great article. Bookmarked it.

[thecodont]

Thanks for this post.

[Regulator]

John Kennedy sent in 31000 active duty troops to put down the so-called Ole Miss riot in 1962.

That’s an entire Division.

There were no federal courts that dared stop him. He invoked the Insurrection Act over a riot smaller then what took place in Los Angeles in June and what goes on seemingly daily in Portland.

They haven’t got a leg to stand on. The absurd analogy of illegal aliens to slaves inverts reality. And has no basis in any federal law, court decision, or the Constitution.

[scrabblehack]

I gather that Portlandia is metropolitan Portland (like Chicagoland is metropolitan Chicago?)