US Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s National Guard Deployments to Portland

A federal judge has thrown a wrench into the Trump administration’s latest attempt to send National Guard troops into Portland, issuing a temporary restraining order that halts deployments of the National Guard to Portland from any U.S. state. The decision, handed down Sunday night by U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut follows growing backlash from Democratic state leaders over what they call a misuse of military power to police political dissent.

The ruling builds on her decision on Saturday, which blocked the administration from using Oregon’s own National Guard. But by Sunday, the Trump administration had already pivoted, calling up California and Texas troops instead — a move Immergut saw as a direct challenge to the court.

“Mr. Hamilton, you are an officer of the court. Aren’t the defendants simply circumventing my order?” she asked, addressing the Department of Justice lawyer during the emergency hearing.

Trump claims the deployments are necessary to protect federal immigration facilities from violent protests, calling Portland overrun with “agitators” and “insurrectionists.” But Immergut wasn’t buying it. She ruled that conditions on the ground had not changed and that the presence of federal troops, regardless of what state they came from, was still unjustified.

“There is no need for military intervention in Oregon. There is no insurrection in Portland. No threat to national security,” said Oregon Governor Tina Kotek in a statement. Judge Immergut agreed, saying if the administration’s logic stood, Trump could “send military troops virtually anywhere at any time,” blurring the line between military and civilian authority.

The judge’s order stops Trump from deploying National Guard troops from any U.S. state to Portland until at least October 19th, and the court will revisit the case on October 17th to decide whether to extend the ban. The move comes amid mounting tensions between the Trump White House and Democratic state leaders, especially in California, Oregon, and Illinois, who say the president is weaponizing the military for political gain.

“We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, reacting to news that 400 troops from Texas were also being sent to Illinois and other states. “The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom went even further: “This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power. The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens.”

The administration insists it’s within its rights to deploy the National Guard. DOJ attorney Eric Hamilton argued that the California troops had already been federalized weeks earlier and could be sent anywhere as part of that mission. Immergut didn’t buy the explanation. “Nothing has changed,” she said, and accused the administration of playing “rhetorical whack-a-mole” with the courts.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield praised the ruling, writing: “The president can’t keep playing whack-a-mole with different states’ Guard units to get around court orders and the rule of law.”

The White House has not commented on the ruling, but has already filed an appeal.