Oregon and the city of Portland have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to halt the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland. The lawsuit, filed on Sunday (September 28), names President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other federal officials as defendants. It seeks to prevent the federal deployment, arguing it is unlawful and unnecessary.
The legal action follows President Trump’s directive to deploy 200 members of the Oregon National Guard to Portland for 60 days. The deployment aims to protect federal assets and personnel amid ongoing protests near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated that the deployment is lawful and intended to enhance safety in Portland.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and other Democratic leaders have criticized the move, asserting there is no significant threat to public safety that justifies military intervention. Kotek emphasized that the protests have been small and peaceful, with no arrests since mid-June. The lawsuit argues that the federal government’s actions violate the 10th Amendment, which reserves police powers to the states.
The deployment is part of a broader federal effort to address protests in Democrat-led cities. President Trump has previously authorized National Guard deployments to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles and threatened similar actions in other cities. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield called the deployment “provocative and arbitrary” and warned it could incite public unrest.
Despite the opposition from Oregon officials, some Republican figures support the deployment. U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer praised the decision, citing concerns over lawlessness in Portland. The legal battle over the deployment is expected to continue, with potential implications for federal-state relations and the use of military forces in domestic situations.
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