Nationwide Coalition of Cities Backs Oregon in Federal Appeals Court Against Trump’s National Guard Deployment Plan
Nationwide Coalition of Cities Backs Oregon in Federal Appeals Court Against Trump’s National Guard Deployment Plan
A broad coalition of 42 cities and counties across the United States, including major hubs like Los Angeles and Chicago, have formally sided with Oregon in a critical federal appeals court dispute. The coalition filed a friend-of-the-court brief late Monday, urging the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a judge’s order that currently blocks the Trump administration from mobilizing National Guard troops to Portland.
This legal push comes amidst growing concerns and recent protests, such as those seen on October 5, 2025, outside the ICE building in South Portland, against the potential deployment of military forces. The brief, submitted by the Oakland-based Public Rights Project, argues that the federal government is attempting to “unlawfully unleash military forces without factual justification,” a move that could jeopardize communities nationwide.
The coalition highlighted the Trump administration’s alleged plans to deploy National Guard troops to 19 additional states, citing a recent presidential attempt to send 400 members of the Texas National Guard to cities including Portland and Chicago. They emphasized that local and state police, supported by federal law enforcement, are adequately equipped to manage any threats to federal facilities, such as the Portland U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office. They also pointed out that local law enforcement is better trained for protest management than military personnel.
Furthermore, the brief raised the significant taxpayer cost of such mobilizations, estimating $10 million for a 60-day deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard members and $134 million already spent on California National Guard deployments since June. Attorneys for the Trump administration are pressing the 9th Circuit to immediately halt U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut’s temporary restraining order, asserting that Immergut “impermissibly second-guessed the Commander in Chief’s military judgments.” The 9th Circuit’s decision on when it will rule remains pending, leaving the status of these potential deployments in flux as a nationwide legal challenge unfolds.
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