Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Portland National Guard Deployment; Administration Immediately Appeals
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Portland National Guard Deployment; Administration Immediately Appeals
PORTLAND, Ore. – A federal judge in Oregon on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard in Portland, ruling in a lawsuit brought by the state and city. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the order, stating that the relatively small protests the city has seen did not justify the use of federalized forces and that allowing the deployment could harm Oregon’s state sovereignty.
Judge Immergut emphasized the country’s “longstanding and foundational tradition of resistance to government overreach,” asserting that the president’s determination to deploy troops was “simply untethered to the facts” regarding the protests’ scale and nature.
Hours after the ruling, the Trump administration filed a notice of appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, signaling its intent to challenge the decision. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated President Trump exercised lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel, anticipating vindication from a higher court.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield hailed the ruling as “a healthy check on the president,” reiterating that Portland is not the “war-torn fantasy” portrayed by the administration. The lawsuit was initiated last week after the Trump administration announced plans to federalize 200 Oregon National Guard troops to protect federal buildings, a move local officials deemed ludicrous given the typical size of demonstrations.
Recent protests, particularly outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, saw a surge in participation after the September 28 deployment announcement. On Saturday, approximately 400 people marched to the ICE facility, where federal agents responded with chemical crowd control munitions and made at least six arrests. Later that evening, agents again deployed tear gas on a crowd of about 100.
This legal battle reignites tensions similar to the 2020 deployment of federal officers to Portland during racial justice protests, a situation that also led to clashes and legal challenges regarding federal authority and use of force.
Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.