National Guard Mobilized to Portland, Governors File Lawsuits Against Trump

President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of National Guard troops from California and Texas to Portland, Oregon, bypassing a federal judge's recent block on using Oregon's own forces. The move, which Democratic Governors Tina Kotek of Oregon and Gavin Newsom of California have vowed to challenge in court, highlights Trump's aggressive strategy to deploy military resources in Democratic strongholds amid protests over immigration enforcement.

The controversy erupted after U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee from his first term, issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday blocking the federalization of 200 Oregon National Guard members for deployment to protect the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland. Immergut ruled that the protests—described by Trump as turning the city into a "war-ravaged" zone—were too small and contained to justify such intervention, emphasizing Oregon's state sovereignty and the lack of any rebellion or invasion as required by law.

Undeterred, the administration swiftly pivoted. A Pentagon spokesperson announced Sunday that approximately 200 federalized California National Guard troops, previously stationed in Los Angeles to enforce immigration laws, were being reassigned to Portland. Oregon Governor Kotek reported that about 100 had already arrived Saturday night, with another 100 en route by Sunday afternoon. Newsom's office confirmed that up to 300 California Guard members, federalized against the state's objections months earlier, could be involved, calling the redeployment a "breathtaking abuse of law and power."

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Adding fuel to the fire, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth submitted a court memo revealing plans to activate up to 400 Texas National Guard personnel for deployment not only to Oregon but also to Illinois and potentially other hotspots. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a staunch Trump ally, quickly endorsed the call-up in a fiery X post late Sunday: "You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it." This marks a rare interstate Guard mobilization, underscoring the partisan divide as Republican-led states back Trump's initiative while Democrats cry foul.

Kotek, speaking at a tense news conference in Salem, decried the arrivals as an "end-run" around the court's ruling. "The facts on the ground in Oregon haven't changed—there's no insurrection in Portland, no threat to national security," she insisted. "This is federal overreach designed to intimidate peaceful protesters and undermine our democracy." Kotek emphasized that the nightly demonstrations outside the ICE building have been confined to a single city block in a metropolis of 650,000, with no widespread violence or disruption.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield echoed her sentiments, announcing that the state, alongside Portland and California, is seeking an amended temporary restraining order to halt all out-of-state Guard deployments. "What was unlawful yesterday is unlawful today," Rayfield declared. "The judge's order wasn't a minor hurdle for the president to dodge—it's a safeguard against militarizing our streets." He likened Trump's tactics to a teenager skirting rules, vowing that Oregon "will not be a party to normalizing the use of the U.S. military in American cities."

Newsom, in a blistering statement, accused the commander-in-chief of weaponizing the military against citizens. "These troops were federalized over my objections to quell unrest in Los Angeles—not to be shuffled like pawns to another state," he said. California's amended lawsuit argues that Trump lacks authority to repurpose the Guard for a new mission, as federal law limits such activations to repelling invasions, suppressing rebellions, or enforcing federal laws—none of which apply in Portland. A California Military Department attorney revealed in a filing that the U.S. Army Northern Command plans to extend the troops' federalization through January, effectively holding them "hostage" to the president's agenda.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson reported witnessing federal agents using "unjustified force," including pepper spray and impact munitions, during a recent protest. "This aggressive approach is inflaming a situation that was otherwise peaceful," Wilson said, noting that the city has alerted the Department of Justice's civil rights division. California Attorney General Rob Bonta amplified the criticism, stating, "It's our National Guard, not Trump's Royal Guard. He's targeting Democratic cities that dare to speak out."

The Oregon showdown is part of a broader pattern in Trump's second term, where he has authorized or threatened National Guard deployments to at least 10 cities he portrays as crime-infested chaos zones. On Saturday, 300 Illinois National Guard troops were federalized for Chicago to safeguard federal assets, despite Governor J.B. Pritzker's vehement opposition. Pritzker's office received no prior consultation and insisted the city's situation "does not require military intervention," with crime rates actually declining in recent months.

Trump's rhetoric frames these actions as essential to his mass deportation push and crime crackdown, protecting ICE agents amid protests against stringent immigration policies. However, critics, including legal experts and civil liberties groups, argue the moves violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a statement Sunday warning of "a dangerous precedent for authoritarian overreach," urging Congress to intervene.

As the legal battle intensifies, with a hearing potentially looming this week, the deployments risk sparking further unrest. In Portland, community leaders are organizing peaceful vigils to counter the military presence, while social media buzzes with outrage—X posts from users like @EmmaJeanKitty decry the "law-breaking" escalation, and conservative voices cheer the "law and order" reinforcement. Analysts predict the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals could soon weigh in, testing the limits of federal power in an increasingly polarized nation. For now, the streets of Portland stand as a flashpoint in America's deepening divide.

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