I know I sent you an evening update a couple of hours ago, but another bombshell ruling just dropped: A federal judge in Oregon, nominated by Donald Trump, minutes ago issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from deploying 200 National Guard troops to Portland.
U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, a Trump appointee, granted the order after the state of Oregon and the city of Portland filed suit to stop the deployment. The ruling temporarily prevents federal activation of the Oregon National Guard and expires on October 18, unless extended.
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The Trump administration had announced plans to send the troops to Portland to protect federal officers and facilities, citing ongoing protests outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building. Hours before the ruling, U.S. Northern Command said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had already activated the Guard under the president’s direction.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the order called for federal service of the Oregon National Guard for 60 days to assist ICE and other federal personnel.
The decision marks a setback for the administration’s broader effort to deploy military forces in Democratic-led cities. Last month, a federal judge in California ruled that similar deployments of the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of the military as a domestic police force.
On Saturday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he was informed that the administration also planned to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard. Pritzker said he would not comply, calling the move unnecessary and unconstitutional.
Governors normally control their state National Guards but can be overruled if the president federalizes the troops. The Oregon case will continue in court as both sides prepare arguments over the legality of the federal action.
Read the full ruling here.
