US judge blocks Trump’s troop deployment to Portland
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A federal judge in Oregon on Wednesday extended an emergency order preventing President Donald Trump from immediately deploying up to 200 National Guard troops to Portland, dealing a blow, albeit temporary, to Trump’s federalization drive.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued a 14-day extension to keep in place her earlier temporary order that was scheduled to expire this weekend.
That order prevented Trump from immediately deploying Oregon National Guard troops to the city, despite objections from local officials who argued that Trump’s description of the violence in Portland was exaggerated and did not warrant the intervention of federal officials.
In his earlier ruling, Judge Immergut called Trump’s actions “detached from reality” and said the push for federalization risked “blurring the lines between civilian and military federal power to the detriment of this nation.”
‘REALLY UNCONNECTED’: LAWYERS FOR TRUMP, OREGON, SPAR CLAW IN COURT OVER NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT
Federal agents try to keep protesters out of an ICE facility on October 6, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The extension comes as attorneys for the state of Oregon and the Trump administration await a decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments on the appeal from the Trump administration last week.
The justices on the three-member appeals court, particularly the two Trump appointees, appeared largely sympathetic to the Trump administration; They stated in court that presidents have wide latitude to deploy the National Guard.
The justices wrapped up arguments by telling both sides they would rule on the issue as soon as possible, although they did not offer a more formal timeline.
PORTLAND POLICE CHIEF RECOMMENDS ‘CROWD SUPPORT’ APPROACH WHEN FACED WITH ONGOING VIOLENCE AT ICE FACILITY
A protester wearing an inflatable Capybara costume stands outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters as police attempt to disperse a crowd to clear traffic leading to the ICE building during a protest in south Portland, Oregon, U.S., October 6, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)
The lower court judge’s extension comes as Trump seeks to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities despite opposition from local and state leaders.
Senior administration officials have argued that the deployment is a necessary step to stem what they say is a rise in violent crime and protect against threats from protesters, including anti-ICE demonstrations in many urban centers.
The panel’s majority did little to hide their skepticism about the arguments presented by Oregon Attorney General Stacy Chaffin; This includes Trump’s assessment of the violence in the city not justifying federalizing the National Guard.
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Democrats countered that Trump’s statements were exaggerated and inaccurate and were merely a legal excuse for Trump to try to “federalize” Democratic-led cities.
The issue is one of several similar cases focusing on Trump’s troop deployment, and it is expected to eventually make its way to the Supreme Court.
