A late-night federal court order has again halted President Donald Trump’s efforts to send National Guard troops into Oregon.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the temporary restraining order Sunday evening, blocking any deployment of federalized National Guard units to Oregon. The decision followed a rapid series of events over the weekend, during which the president sought to mobilize troops from California and Texas after the same judge had barred him from using Oregon’s own Guard the previous day.
Immergut, a Trump appointee, repeatedly pressed federal attorneys during the emergency hearing, questioning why the administration appeared to defy her earlier ruling. “How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention to the temporary restraining order I issued yesterday?” she asked. Later, she added, “Aren’t defendants simply circumventing my order?”
The court’s latest order, effective for 14 days, prevents deployment until another hearing scheduled for Oct. 17. A follow-up session on Oct. 29 will determine whether the block should be extended.
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The legal fight follows growing tension over small but persistent demonstrations outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland. Protests, which began after Trump’s second term started in January, had largely been limited to a single block before federal involvement reignited clashes last weekend.
Despite Trump’s description of Portland as “war ravaged” and “burning down,” city officials said his claims were exaggerated and relied on outdated images from 2020’s Black Lives Matter unrest. They argued that the protests now involve a small area in a city spanning more than 145 square miles.
Governor Tina Kotek denounced the president’s move to override state authority, calling it “an effort to occupy and incite cities and states that don’t share his politics.” She vowed that “Oregon will stand up to him at every turn.”
California and Oregon jointly sued the administration, claiming the deployments violated constitutional limits and state sovereignty. California Attorney General Rob Bonta described the move to send one state’s National Guard into another as “well outside of the norms or practices” of any previous president. “This fight isn’t over,” he said, calling the ruling “a step in the right direction.”
According to court filings, about 200 California National Guard members were reassigned from Los Angeles to Portland on Sunday before the restraining order took effect. Another 100 were en route when the ruling was issued. A Pentagon memo also revealed plans to activate 400 Texas National Guard troops for potential use in Oregon and other states.
READ ALSO: California’s attempt to halt Trump’s National Guard troop deployment hits judicial pause
Oregon’s attorney, Scott Kennedy, told the court he learned of the Texas deployment “just 24 minutes before the emergency hearing,” describing the administration’s maneuvers as “a game of rhetorical whack-a-mole.”
Meanwhile, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson accused federal agents of escalating tensions outside the ICE facility. “This is an aggressive approach trying to inflame the situation that has otherwise been peaceful,” he said, noting that he has contacted the Justice Department’s civil rights division about the agents’ use of pepper spray and munitions.
The White House has not commented on the judge’s latest ruling.
