A federal judge on Sunday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying any National Guard units to Oregon, including the California National Guard.
California and Oregon sought the temporary restraining order after U.S. President Donald Trump sent guard members from California to Oregon earlier in the day. On Saturday, the same judge temporarily blocked his administration from deploying Oregon National Guard troops to Portland.
A Pentagon spokesperson said in an earlier statement that about 200 federalized members of the California National Guard who had been on duty around Los Angeles were being reassigned to Portland. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said about 100 arrived Saturday and around 100 more were en route Sunday. Kotek said there had been no formal communication with the federal government about the deployment.
The two states originally requested a narrower order that would have blocked only California National Guard troops from being sent to Oregon, but asked for the order to apply to all National Guard troops after a memo written by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was submitted to the court that said up to 400 Texas National Guard personnel were being activated for deployment to Oregon, Illinois and possibly elsewhere.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a post on X Sunday night that he had authorized the call-up. “You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it,” he wrote.
Authorities and protesters face off in Portland on Sept. 28. (John Rudoff/Reuters)
The move comes a day after Illinois’ governor made a similar announcement about troops in his state being activated.
“This action appears to [be] intentional to circumvent yesterday’s ruling by a federal judge,” Kotek said in a statement Sunday.
“There is no need for military intervention in Oregon. There is no insurrection in Portland. No threat to national security. Oregon is our home, not a military target.”
A spokesperson for Kotek said Sunday he could not verify the current location of the National Guard members who arrived in Oregon on Saturday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, said in a statement that California personnel were on their way Sunday and called the deployment “a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.”
From left: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, U.S. President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Jenny Kane, Alex Brandon, Rich Pedroncelli/The Associated Press)
He said these troops were “federalized” and put under the president’s control months ago over his objections, in response to unrest in Los Angeles.
“The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens,” Newsom said.
“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 earlier Sunday that about 300 guard members were being sent from California. Messages were sent to his office seeking to clarify the discrepancy.
Trump ‘circumvents’ legal hurdle
A Trump-appointed federal judge in Oregon on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland to protect federal property amid protests after Trump called the city “war-ravaged.”
Oregon officials and Portland residents alike said that description was ludicrous.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, issued the order pending further arguments in a lawsuit brought by the state and city.
WATCH | Do locals see Portland as ‘war-ravaged’ like Trump describes?:
Trump says Portland is ‘war ravaged.’ Here’s what locals see
U.S. President Donald Trump says he’s deploying the National Guard ‘to protect war ravaged Portland,’ in a social media post on Saturday. CBC’s Julia Wong spoke with some of the city’s residents ahead of the troops’ arrival, who offered a different perspective on what they’re seeing.
She said the relatively small protests the city has seen did not justify the use of federalized forces and allowing the deployment could harm Oregon’s state sovereignty.
“This action circumvents the court’s decision and threatens to inflame a community that has remained peaceful,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson.
Law enforcement officers stand after deploying tear gas outside an ICE facility during a protest in Portland on Saturday. (Jenny Kane/The Associated Press)
The ICE building in Portland has recently been the site of nightly protests.
Trump has characterized both Portland and Chicago as cities rife with crime and unrest, calling the former a “war zone” and suggesting apocalyptic force was needed to quell problems in the latter.
WATCH | Why does Trump keep calling Portland a war zone?:
Why does Trump keep calling Portland a war zone?
Donald Trump’s plan to send the National Guard ‘to protect war-ravaged Portland’ has been met with bewilderment from many people who live there. For The National, CBC’s Ashley Fraser tries to get to the bottom of the U.S. president’s fixation on the Oregon city.
Since the start of his second term, he has sent or talked about sending troops to 10 cities.
Trump authorized the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago on Saturday.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said the situation in Chicago “does not require the use of the military and, as a result, the governor opposes the deployment of the national guard under any status.”
Pritzker didn’t receive any calls from federal officials about the deployment, his office said.
