Trump Sends Troops to Oregon, Defying Court Order
By Eli Sachs
UPDATE:
Despite the administration’s attempt to redirect troops already federalized for previous unrest in California, the judge’s order and subsequent legal actions by California and Oregon officials prevented the deployment from happening.
On Saturday, in defiance of a federal court order, President Donald Trump deployed 300 California National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, just hours after a judge blocked his attempt to federalize 200 Oregon National Guard members. He defended the move as necessary to quell a rebellion in what he described as a “war-ravaged” Portland.
"Portland is burning to the ground. It’s insurrectionists all over the place. It’s Antifa … The place is burning down and they pretend like there’s nothing happening."
— Donald Trump
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, had issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing the administration from federalizing those guardsmen, saying the administration’s justification was “simply untethered to the facts.” Her ruling described the Portland protests as “not significantly violent or disruptive,” noting that protests rarely numbered more than 30.
"This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law. … Defendants have made a range of arguments that, if accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power—to the detriment of this nation."
— Judge Karin Immergut
In a Sunday statement, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson emphasized that the city did not need the National Guard:
"This action circumvents the court’s decision and threatens to inflame a community that has remained peaceful. Our legal team … will immediately pursue all lawful steps to enforce the judge’s order and protect Portlanders’ rights."
There have been multiple reported incidents of federal agents attacking and arresting protesters. According to Orlando Public Broadcasting:
"Crowds gathered peacefully … Soon after, federal law enforcement marched out … and fired [several canisters of] tear gas and smoke canisters … They also fired pepper balls at people."
To bypass the TRO, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth redirected troops from California to Oregon and Illinois. Those troops were already under federal control via their prior deployment in Los Angeles under 10 U.S.C. § 12406, which enables the President to federalize National Guard units.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek responded to the deployment by saying:
"We have received no official notification or correspondence from the federal government … This action appears to [be] intentional to circumvent yesterday’s ruling by a federal judge."
On Friday, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement indicating he intends to sue the Trump Administration:
After a federal court blocked his attempt to federalize the Oregon National Guard, Donald Trump is deploying 300 California National Guard personnel into Oregon. They are on their way there now.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) October 5, 2025
We are taking this fight back to court.
The public cannot stay silent in the face…
The Trump Administration has since filed an appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
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Sources
Charalambous, Peter, Tristan Maglunog, Anne Flaherty, and Luis Martinez. 2025. “Judge to Block ‘relocation, Federalization, or Deployment’ of Any National Guard to Oregon.” _ABC News_, October 5, 2025.Cheney, Kyle, and Josh Gerstein. 2025. “Judge blocks Trump’s National Guard deployment in Portland for second time.” Politico, October 5, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/05/national-guard-oregon-california-rurling-00594606.
“Governor Newsom to Sue, Urges Americans to Speak Out on Trump’s ‘Breathtaking Abuse of Power’ With Cross-State Guard Deployment.” 2025. Governor of California. October 6, 2025. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/05/governor-newsom-to-sue-urges-americans-to-speak-out-on-trumps-breathtaking-abuse-of-power-with-cross-state-guard-deployment/.
Land, Joni and AP Staff. 2025. “Circumventing Court Order’s Intent, Trump Sends California National Guard to Oregon.” OPB, October 5, 2025. https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/05/california-national-guard-oregon/.
Wilson, Conrad. 2025. “Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s National Guard Deployment to Portland.” NPR, October 4, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2025/10/04/nx-s1-5557239/trump-national-guard-portland-court-ruling.