Oregon Sues to Block Federal Deployment of National Guard to Portland

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced Sunday that the state has filed a lawsuit to prevent President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard to Portland. This legal action follows Trump's authorization to send federal troops to the city, which he described as "War ravaged Portland."

Governor Tina Kotek received an email notification from the U.S. Department of Defense on Sunday morning, indicating that Trump had invoked federal law to call 200 members of the Oregon National Guard into federal service in Portland for a 60-day period under the U.S. Northern Command.

During a virtual news conference with Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, Rayfield criticized the deployment as an infringement on state and local sovereignty and a violation of federal law. The 41-page lawsuit, filed by the State of Oregon and the City of Portland, states, "The facts cannot justify this overreach." It also notes that recent protests outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland have been small, typically involving fewer than 30 people.

The suit argues that the federal deployment "threatens to escalate tensions and stokes new unrest." Filed in federal court in Portland, it seeks to bar Trump from deploying troops to Oregon. Rayfield's office plans to file a temporary restraining order within the next 24 hours to block the arrival of troops and hopes for a hearing before a judge later this week.

Governor Kotek expressed concern over the lack of communication regarding the deployment, stating she had no details about when the troops would arrive or their specific mission. She emphasized that the Oregon National Guard members are citizens trained for real emergencies, such as wildfire suppression, and that their deployment in this context is unnecessary and unlawful.

The lawsuit alleges that Trump's actions violate the 10th Amendment, which reserves police powers to the states. It contends that the presence of National Guard troops could create public confusion, undermine local law enforcement efforts, and negatively impact businesses and tourism in Portland.

This legal challenge follows similar actions in other jurisdictions. Earlier this month, the District of Columbia's attorney general filed a lawsuit to halt the federal government's deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. In California, a federal judge granted an injunction declaring the deployment of federal troops in Los Angeles as "an unlawful encroachment on state and local authority." The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily stayed the injunction as it considers the government's appeal.

Mayor Wilson and other city leaders plan to gather at Portland City Hall on Monday to support the city's challenge to the troop deployment. Wilson described the president's actions as "a big show of force" and emphasized the need to push back against what he termed an overreach.

As Oregon's leaders turn to the courts to intervene, local organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and the Urban League of Portland, have organized rallies opposing the federal deployment, distributing materials with messages such as "No Federal Forces in Portland!"