'Constitutional Law, Not Martial Law' - San Francisco Bay Times

"At the time of this writing, National Guard troops have been deployed in five American cities at the direct order or urging of President Donald Trump. In three of those cities⎯ Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland⎯Trump has federalized the troops, putting them directly under his command as would be the case if they were deployed overseas. On the October 10, 2025, edition of The New Yorker's "The Political Scene" podcast, renowned New Yorker reporter Jane Mayer characterized recent developments as "shocking" and "crossing new barriers.""

"In her October 4, 2025, order, Immergut sharply rejected Trump's justification for the deployment that Portland was "war ravaged" and "under siege" by "domestic terrorists," finding that "the protests in Portland were not 'a rebellion' and did not pose a 'danger of a rebellion.'" She minced no words: "The President's determination was simply untethered to the facts." She heralded the American "historical tradition," which "boils down to a simple proposition: this is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law.""

National Guard troops were deployed in five U.S. cities at the president's order, with troops federalized in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland and placed under direct presidential command. A federal judge, Karin Immergut, blocked the Portland deployment, finding the president's claims that Portland was "war ravaged" and "under siege" by "domestic terrorists" untethered to the facts and emphasizing Constitutional law over martial law. Renowned reporting characterized the developments as "shocking" and "crossing new barriers." The situation prompted reflection on threats to constitutional order and led some to seek perspective from Theravadan Buddhist teacher Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.

Read at San Francisco Bay Times