U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut has temporarily extended an order blocking the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, citing insufficient evidence to justify the move.
The ruling, issued on Sunday evening, comes after a thorough review of more than 750 exhibits and testimony from over 48 hours of trial proceedings. Immergut, who was appointed by President Trump, stated that the federal government’s justification for the deployment failed to meet the necessary legal standards. The court found no credible evidence that protests in Portland had reached a level that warranted federal intervention, despite the administration’s claims.
Immergut emphasized that the government’s actions may be violating constitutional protections and state sovereignty, particularly regarding the Tenth Amendment. She pointed out that sending troops from one state into another could infringe on the sovereignty of Oregon, describing the situation as an ‘injury to Oregon’s sovereignty under the Constitution, and Oregon’s equal sovereignty among the States.’ The judge further noted that the deployment of troops exceeded the delegated statutory authority under 10 U.S.C. § 12406.
The administration’s request for the National Guard to be federalized and deployed to Portland has been met with resistance from local law enforcement, who have provided testimony suggesting that the protests in the city were limited to isolated and sporadic instances of violence. Immergut cited the testimony of Portland Police Bureau command staff, who emphasized that the demonstrations at the ICE facility were not indicative of a larger rebellion or threat to national security.
The final ruling on the merits is expected by Friday, November 7, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT. Until then, the Oregon National Guard may remain federalized, but not deployed. This decision has raised concerns about the legality of the federal government’s use of the National Guard for domestic law enforcement, with implications for both state and federal authorities’ roles in addressing civil unrest.