Federal judge blocks Trump from sending California National Guard troops to Oregon
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Sunday night barring the deployment of National Guard troops from any state to Oregon, hours after California sued President Donald Trump over the deployment of its guardsmen in Portland.
The ruling came one day after Trump defied a separate court order prohibiting him from sending Oregon’s own National Guard to the city as part of an ongoing federal campaign targeting Democratic-led municipalities.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and the city of Portland sought the emergency order to block the Pentagon from deploying 300 California National Guard troops to Portland. Trump had described the city as “war-ravaged” and claimed it had been overrun by antifascist demonstrators known as “antifa.”
“It’s an escalation in how Trump is seeking to weaponize our military on American soil and use them unlawfully,” Bonta said, citing the Pentagon’s incursions in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, and Trump’s threats against Baltimore. “He’s specifically targeting cities that lean Democratic or have leaders and residents who dare to speak out against his outrageous abuses of power. ... It’s pure political weaponization and gamesmanship here and clearly a very transparent and open targeting of blue states.”
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut ruled that Portland and Oregon were “likely to succeed on their claim that the President exceeded his constitutional authority and violated the 10th Amendment.” Her order temporarily blocks the federal government from deploying troops under Title X for 14 days.
“The rule of law has prevailed. This ruling is more than a legal victory, it’s a victory for American democracy itself,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement late Sunday. “Donald Trump tried to turn our soldiers into instruments of his political will. While our fight continues, tonight the rule of law said ‘hell no’.”
But the judge’s latest order came as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that Trump had authorized the mobilization of up to 400 members of the Texas National Guard. The initial 60-day deployment would send troops “where needed, including in the cities of Portland and Chicago.”
On Saturday, Immergut temporarily blocked the Pentagon from sending 200 Oregon National Guard members to protect an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland from protests.
She rejected the Pentagon’s claims that Portland faced a “danger of rebellion,” and said “the president’s determination was simply untethered to the facts,” a week after Trump told military leaders that he planned to punish “dangerous” cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York by using them as military training grounds to combat “a war within.”
Overnight, the White House told Gov. Gavin Newsom that they were sending 300 California National Guard members to Portland, which he called “a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.”
“The Trump administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself and putting into action their dangerous words — ignoring court orders and treating judges, even those appointed by the president himself, as political opponents,” Newsom said in a statement. “This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power. The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens.”
Bonta’s request for a temporary restraining order is part Rayfield’s ongoing case challenging Trump’s authority to federalize the National Guard in Oregon, which the Pentagon appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. He told reporters that a court hearing and order on his and Rayfield’s request could come as early as Sunday evening.
Less than a day after Immergut issued her ruling, Trump told reporters that the judge — whom he appointed to the bench during his first term — “ought to be ashamed of herself” because Portland was “burning to the ground.”
The Oregonian reported that the federal government did not communicate with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek before 101 California National Guardsmen arrived unannounced in Portland on Saturday night. More troops were on their way as of 1 p.m. Sunday, Kotek said.
“There is no need for military intervention in Oregon,” she said. “There is no insurrection in Portland. No threat to national security.”
Both she and Newsom urged protestors to remain peaceful.
“We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States,” Newsom said.
When asked for comment, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson falsely claimed protestors had violently rioted and attacked law enforcement, and referred to Newsom using one of Trump’s often-used insults.
“President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement,” Jackson said in an email. “For once, Gavin Newscum should stand on the side of law-abiding citizens instead of violent criminals destroying Portland and cities across the country.”
Last month, California won a court victory barring the Pentagon from using the California National Guard to crack down on anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles.
U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco found that the White House had violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which prevents the military from being used for domestic policing on U.S. soil.
Bonta said the federal government would “likely” extend the military’s ongoing deployment in Los Angeles until January, even though the Pentagon sent most of the remaining troops in California to Oregon.
This story was originally published October 5, 2025 at 10:24 AM with the headline "Federal judge blocks Trump from sending California National Guard troops to Oregon."
