Federal Judge Blocks National Guard Deployment in Portland

A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction preventing President Trump from sending the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, deeming the action unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut released a 106-page ruling on Friday, stating that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to deploy Federal Guard troops from Oregon, Texas, and California to Portland overstepped presidential authority and violated the 10th Amendment.

The ruling followed a trial that examined whether the protests at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building necessitated military intervention. The Trump administration argued that military presence was crucial for safeguarding federal personnel and property.

Judge Immergut, however, disagreed with this rationale. She pointed out that the governor of Oregon was against the deployments and emphasized that the federal officials responsible for the ICE location did not request military assistance.

“The evidence shows that these deployments were opposed by the Governor of Oregon, unsolicited by federal officials responsible for securing ICE buildings, and exceeded the authority of the President,” she remarked.

Immergut noted that Trump had not substantiated claims of insurrection requiring military action. “Even with all due respect for the president’s determination, he had no legal basis to federalize the National Guard,” she stated.

The decision referenced the Tenth Amendment, which indicates that powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved for the states.

Earlier this year, Portland and the state of Oregon took legal action against Hegseth after he sent 200 troops to the city. Initially, a judge temporarily halted the deployment on Sunday, and the ruling was made permanent on Friday.

The government has the option to appeal this ruling. Moreover, President Trump is also facing a temporary restraining order preventing troop deployment to Chicago.