Court Overturns Block on Trump Administration’s National Guard Deployment to Portland

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

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Image Source: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images

An appeals court on Monday overturned a lower court ruling that had temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying the Oregon National Guard to Portland, clearing the way for federalized troops to operate in the state.

The decision by a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals allows the administration to proceed with the deployment, although a broader order preventing any other state’s National Guard from entering Portland remains in effect.

The dispute began after President Donald Trump ordered 200 members of the Oregon National Guard to protect federal property amid ongoing protests at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland. Local and state officials objected, arguing that the move represented federal overreach.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut blocked the deployment, ruling that conditions in Portland did not justify a federal takeover of the state’s National Guard and that the administration’s claims of widespread unrest were “untethered to the facts.”

In Monday’s ruling, the appellate judges said the Trump administration was likely to succeed in its appeal, concluding that the president had lawfully exercised his authority under federal law. Judges Ryan Nelson and Bridget Bade, both appointed by Trump, wrote that while some demonstrations were peaceful, others turned violent and threatened federal officers.

Judge Susan Graber dissented, warning that the decision undermined state sovereignty and citizens’ First Amendment rights.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield sharply criticized the ruling, accusing the court of failing to hold the president accountable. He vowed to continue legal efforts to block the deployment and called on the full Ninth Circuit to review the decision before what he described as “illegal deployments” could take place.

Rayfield added, “We will continue to fight for Oregon’s laws and values no matter what.”