News - Judge Blocks Trump's National Guard Deployment in Portland.

A federal judge in Oregon has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration from deploying the National Guard in Portland. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the order Saturday in response to a lawsuit brought by the state of Oregon and the city of Portland, ruling that the deployment would violate both the U.S. Constitution and federal law prohibiting military enforcement of domestic laws. The Defense Department had announced plans to place 200 members of Oregon’s National Guard under federal control for 60 days to protect federal property at locations where protests are occurring or are likely to occur. Trump previously called the city 'war-ravaged' and directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide troops 'to end the radical left reign of terror in Portland once and for all,' according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Saturday for comment. Why It Matters Judge Immergut emphasized that the case involves 'the relationship between the federal government and the states, between the military and domestic law enforcement, and the balance of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.' The decision marks the second time in recent months a federal court has blocked Trump’s National Guard deployments. Last month, a judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of 4,700 National Guard soldiers and Marines in Los Angeles was illegal. The pattern suggests potential legal limits to the president’s approach to deploying troops in Democratic-led cities, which also includes Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Memphis. Trump has also ordered a review of federal aid to Portland, with the White House stating, 'we will not fund states that allow anarchy,' though no specific funds were identified. The president has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal funding as punishment for political opponents, despite such funding being mandated by Congress. What To Know The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Portland has been the site of nightly protests following expanded deportation raids under Trump’s immigration policies. However, Judge Immergut found that demonstrations were 'small and uneventful' in the days and weeks leading up to Trump’s order. The protests and occasional clashes with law enforcement have been limited to a one-block area in a city covering approximately 145 square miles with 636,000 residents. Recent protests typically drew a couple dozen people before the deployment announcement. While presidents generally receive significant deference to federalize National Guard troops when regular law enforcement cannot execute federal laws, Judge Immergut determined this standard was not met in Portland. She wrote that plaintiffs successfully demonstrated the protests were not significantly violent or disruptive, concluding that 'the President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.' Oregon filed the lawsuit on September 28 after Governor Tina Kotek failed to convince Trump to cancel the deployment during a 10-minute phone call. The state argues that sending 200 National Guard troops to guard a single building is 'not about public safety, it’s about political theater.' The controversy intensified after conservative journalist Nicholas Sortor was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct during a protest. The White House called the arrest part of a 'troubling trend' and said the Justice Department’s civil rights division was reviewing whether it constituted 'viewpoint discrimination.' The Portland Police Bureau responded that 'arrests are based on observed behavior and probable cause — not political affiliation or public profile.' What People Are Saying Judge Karin Immergut: 'Whether we choose to follow what the Constitution mandates with respect to these three relationships goes to the heart of what it means to live under the rule of law in the United States.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: 'President Trump will end the radical left reign of terror in Portland once and for all.' Oregon Governor Tina Kotek: 'When the president and I spoke yesterday, I told him in plain language that there is no insurrection or threat to public safety that necessitates military intervention in Portland or any other city in our state.' Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a press release on Friday: 'Sending in 200 National Guard troops to guard a single building is not normal. What we’re seeing is not about public safety, it's about political theater.'