A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily barred President Donald Trump’s administration from sending National Guard troops to Portland, dealing a blow to his effort to deploy the military in cities that oppose his policies.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the ruling on Sunday, October 5, 2025, just a day after she blocked Trump’s attempt to send 200 Oregon National Guard troops to the city. The administration had sought to bring in additional forces from California and Texas despite her earlier order.
Immergut, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, ruled that there was no credible evidence that the protests in Portland warranted National Guard intervention, regardless of which state the troops came from.
“How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention of the decision I issued yesterday?” Immergut asked Justice Department attorney Eric Hamilton during Sunday night’s hearing. “Is there any legal authority for what you are doing?”
Hamilton argued that the California National Guard had been legally federalized on June 7 as part of a broader mission to protect federal personnel and property nationwide. He claimed that sending them to Portland was consistent with that mission.
Oregon’s attorney, Scott Kennedy, accused the Trump administration of engaging in “gamesmanship” to evade the court’s previous order. “It feels like we’re playing a game of rhetorical whack-a-mole here,” Kennedy remarked.
Under Immergut’s ruling, which remains effective until at least October 19, the administration is prohibited from deploying National Guard troops from any state or Washington, D.C., to Portland while Oregon and California pursue a longer-term injunction.
Neither the White House nor the Pentagon commented on the court’s decision.
Earlier that day, Trump appeared unaware of the judge’s identity and mistakenly referred to Immergut as male. “That judge ought to be ashamed of himself,” Trump said, adding that he had not been “served well” by those who advised him to make the appointment.
Pentagon Calls in Troops from California and Texas
The Pentagon announced Sunday that 200 California National Guard troops would be sent to Oregon to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal personnel in enforcing federal law and protecting property.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also ordered 400 Texas National Guard troops into federal service to be deployed to Chicago, Portland, and other cities, according to a memo submitted to the court.
National Guard troops typically operate under the authority of their state governors unless federalized. Trump defended the deployments as necessary to address unrest around an immigration facility in Portland.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move before the judge’s ruling, saying the troops were already en route. “This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power. The Trump Administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself,” Newsom wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
A separate federal ruling on September 2 had already blocked the Trump administration from using U.S. troops in California to fight crime, though that decision is currently on hold pending appeal.
Local Objections and Broader Implications
The Oregon dispute highlights Trump’s increasingly aggressive use of military power during his second term, including sending troops to the U.S. border and authorizing force against suspected drug traffickers off Venezuela’s coast.
National Guard units have also been used to police cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., despite objections from local officials. Trump maintained that such deployments were necessary to restore order in what he called “lawless” areas.
Oregon, however, argued that Trump exaggerated the threat posed by protests to justify illegally seizing control of state military units. The state contended that his actions violated multiple federal laws and infringed upon Oregon’s sovereign right to manage its own law enforcement.
Speaking from the White House earlier Sunday, October 5, 2025, Trump repeated his claim that Portland was “overrun by agitators and insurrectionists.”
In her Saturday ruling, Judge Immergut acknowledged that presidents deserve significant deference in military matters but emphasized that such authority has limits. Accepting Trump’s argument, she wrote, would allow a president to “send military troops virtually anywhere at any time,” blurring the constitutional line between civil and military authority “to the detriment of this nation.”
On Sunday, Immergut reaffirmed her stance, stating that “nothing has changed” since her previous decision. She admonished the Justice Department for “missing the point” in suggesting that using troops from other states could circumvent her order.
The Trump administration has appealed Immergut’s ruling, arguing that the judge had “impermissibly second-guessed the Commander in Chief’s military judgments.”
