A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily stopped President Donald Trump’s administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, dealing a legal setback to the president’s efforts to send military forces into cities that oppose such actions.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the ruling on Sunday, just one day after blocking Trump from sending 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland. The administration had attempted to bypass that order by calling in troops from California and Texas.
Immergut, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, stated there was no evidence that current protests in Portland required military intervention. During the hearing, she questioned Justice Department attorney Eric Hamilton on the legality of deploying federalized troops from other states, asking, “Is there any legal authority for what you are doing?”
Hamilton argued that the California National Guard had been federalized earlier in June for a mission to protect federal property nationwide, and that sending them to Portland was a continuation of that duty. Oregon’s attorney, Scott Kennedy, countered that this was a clear case of “gamesmanship,” designed to sidestep the judge’s previous order.
Judge Immergut’s new ruling blocks the Trump administration from sending any National Guard troops—whether from Oregon, California, Texas, or Washington D.C.—to Portland until at least October 19, as Oregon and California seek a longer-term court decision. The White House and Pentagon have not commented on the ruling.
Earlier in the day, Trump mistakenly referred to Judge Immergut as “himself,” saying he was not “served well” by those who recommended her appointment. Meanwhile, the Pentagon had already begun sending 200 California National Guard troops to Oregon to support ICE and federal personnel, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also federalizing 400 Texas troops for assignments in Portland, Chicago, and other cities.
California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized the deployment, calling it “a breathtaking abuse of the law and power,” and accusing the Trump administration of “attacking the rule of law itself.”
This latest dispute marks another chapter in the growing tension between Trump and Democratic-led states. Oregon has argued that the federal deployment violates both federal law and the state’s constitutional right to manage its own security. Judge Immergut reaffirmed that while the president has broad authority in military matters, he cannot “ignore the facts on the ground” or “blur the line between civil and military power.”
The Trump administration has already appealed the ruling, claiming the court “impermissibly second-guessed the Commander in Chief’s military judgments.”
