Judge Blocks National Guard Deployment to Portland

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut has temporarily extended an order preventing the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon. She stated that the government has not provided adequate justification for this move.

In her order on Sunday evening, Immergut “preliminarily enjoined the Hegseths from implementing” a memo that authorized the federalization of the Oregon, Texas, and California National Guards, as well as their deployment to Portland.

The injunction will remain effective until the court releases its final decision by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 7, 2025.

Immergut noted that the court had heard “three days of testimony and arguments” and reviewed over 750 exhibits in the trial that wrapped up two days prior. She emphasized the need to conduct a thorough examination of the evidence before rendering a final decision.

Ultimately, she found that the Trump administration’s actions lacked legitimacy. “Based on trial testimony, this court does not find credible evidence that the protests leading up to the President’s federalization order were out of control,” she stated, highlighting that the protests included mostly isolated acts of violence.

The judge also expressed doubt that the president had a valid legal basis for invoking certain sections of law in order to federalize the National Guard for deployment to the Portland ICE facility. She referred to testimony from local law enforcement officials, saying that the demonstrations did not constitute an insurrection.

According to Immergut, credible testimony from commanders of the Portland Police Department indicated that the protests around the ICE building were not insurrections and probably did not present an insurrection risk. Additionally, she pointed out that the actions of the regime likely violated legal restrictions and constitutional protections.

“Defendants’ federalization and deployment of the National Guard in response to a protest outside a single federal building in Portland exceeded their delegated statutory authority and violated the Tenth Amendment,” she remarked.

Immergut also noted that sending troops from one state to another undermines Oregon’s sovereignty and violates the state’s rights. The justices indicated they plan to issue a final opinion by the specified deadline, stating that the Oregon National Guard may remain federalized but not deployed until then.