Oregon Governor Orders Demobilization of National Guard Troops Amid Legal Dispute

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has instructed the immediate demobilization of about 200 Oregon National Guard troops stationed at Camp Rilea near Astoria. In a letter to General Gregory Guillot, commander of the United States Northern Command, Kotek also called for the demobilization of California National Guard soldiers currently stationed at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas County.

Kotek expressed that the soldiers should not be "uprooted from their families and careers, only to be mobilized for an illegal mission." She further noted that the mission disrupts the National Guard's training schedules and lawful deployments planned for the coming years and imposes financial burdens on taxpayers.

This directive follows a series of legal challenges regarding the federal deployment of National Guard troops in Oregon. A federal judge recently blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to deploy Oregon National Guard members to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland, citing insufficient evidence that demonstrations had disrupted agency operations or posed threats to federal employees. The administration plans to appeal this decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kotek's office reported that they were not informed in advance about the deployment of 300 California National Guard members to Oregon, learning of their arrival through unofficial channels. The governor's office has yet to receive a direct explanation from the administration regarding the deployment of these troops.

The situation underscores ongoing tensions between state and federal authorities over the use of National Guard forces, highlighting the complex interplay between state sovereignty and federal directives.