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The federal appeals court has maintained a ban on deploying national guard in Portland, Oregon, following a latest court ruling.

Judicial Panel Agrees to Rehear Case

The federal appeals court ruled on this week that it would reexamine the legal dispute concerning the executive power with an larger panel of 11 judges. The court also overturned a previous decision from a three-judge panel that had sided with the federal government.

Legal Saga Over Troop Deployment

This order represents the latest development in a long-running court case over whether the administration has the authority and valid reason to send national guard forces in the city. Approximately two hundred troops have been in uncertainty since the end of September when the deployment effort was initiated in due to months of protests.

Conflicting Arguments

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 maintain that local officers have control of the situation.

In defiance of characterizations of the city as a conflict zone, residents have been sharing videos of lush hiking trails and a vibrant culinary culture, and planning activities such as an Emergency Naked Bike Ride against the “militarization of our city”.

Court Proceedings

The Tuesday ruling came after a US district judge in the city issued two legal injunctions this month – one blocking the federalization of the state troops, and another prohibiting the deployment of any national guard troops in Oregon, after attempts to circumvent the initial injunction by calling up out-of-state forces.

On Monday, the ninth circuit panel had temporarily suspended the initial decision – allowing command of state troops – but the second ruling remained in place, preventing the physical sending of the troops.

En Banc Review

The latest ruling means the matter will be heard “en banc” – with both rulings under review simultaneously – by a panel of 11 judges.

“This ruling demonstrates that the truth matters and that the judicial system are striving to hold this administration accountable. The founding document limits the executive authority, and Oregon’s communities cannot be treated as a testing site for expansive government power,” said the legal representative in a statement.

“The court is sending a definite signal: the executive leader cannot dispatch the armed forces into American urban areas unnecessarily. We will continue protecting state legislation, values, and sovereignty as this case moves forward and our fight continues in the judicial system.”