Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Order to Deploy National Guard in Portland
- Rahaman Hadisur
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff
H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA
A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to deploy 200 National Guard troops to Portland, marking a significant legal setback for the White House.
U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, appointed by former President Donald Trump, issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday after the state of Oregon and the city of Portland jointly sued. The order halts implementation of a Sept. 28 directive to federalize the Oregon National Guard and will remain in effect until at least October 18, pending further review.
In her ruling, Immergut cited constitutional limits on executive authority, noting that only Congress has the power to call forth troops for domestic use. “This country has a longstanding and foundational tradition of resistance to government overreach, especially in the form of military intrusion into civil affairs,” she wrote. “This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law.”
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek praised the decision, calling it “justice served.” She emphasized that Portland faces no insurrection or national security threat, adding: “The only threat we face is to our democracy and it is being led by President Donald Trump.”
The Trump administration quickly appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the president’s actions, saying he had acted lawfully to protect federal assets and personnel amid what the administration described as violent unrest.
The ruling follows a similar decision last month in California, where a federal judge found the administration’s use of the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
For now, Portland’s streets will remain free of federalized Guard troops, but the legal and political battle over presidential authority to deploy military forces within U.S. cities is far from over.
