Oregon and the city of Portland have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, aiming to block the deployment of National Guard troops to the city. This legal action reportedly comes just one day after President Trump announced he was giving the go-ahead for the National Guard to use “full force” in Portland..
The suit, which targets President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and several other high-ranking officials, asks a federal court in Portland to declare the deployment of troops unlawful and stop it from happening.
In response to the lawsuit, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the president’s actions, calling them “lawful” and insisting they would “make Portland safer.” She explained that the National Guard was being called in to protect federal assets and personnel after months of violent protests, which she claimed included assaults on officers and doxxing of law enforcement by “left-wing rioters.”
The Pentagon declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing a policy of not addressing active litigation. The Department of Homeland Security also did not provide any immediate response to the legal action as of Sunday evening.
In their complaint, Oregon and Portland argue that the federal government has no legitimate reason to call in the National Guard. They assert that recent protests in the city have been relatively small, primarily centered around an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.
Governor Tina Kotek of Oregon, a Democrat, spoke out against the decision, saying, “There is no insurrection or threat to public safety that necessitates military intervention in Portland or any other city in our state.” She added that Trump’s actions disregarded the safety and self-governance of Oregonians, calling it unnecessary, unlawful, and dangerous. “It will make Oregonians less safe,” she concluded.
Portland’s crime statistics, provided by the Portland Police Bureau’s Strategic Services Division, show that crime rates this year are similar to last year, with a significant decrease in homicides (down by 50%) and aggravated assaults (down by 4%). However, there was an 8% rise in simple assaults.
The lawsuit also addresses a memorandum issued by Hegseth, calling 200 members of the Oregon National Guard into federal service. Governor Kotek expressed frustration, saying Trump’s actions had stripped her of control over the National Guard. She revealed that the state had no information about when the troops would be deployed, how many would be activated, or if they would be armed.
The plaintiffs claim that the federal government’s actions violate the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which grants police powers to the states. Oregon’s Attorney General, Dan Rayfield, also noted that the administration’s moves mirror its efforts to deploy National Guard troops in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., which have faced legal challenges.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in California ruled that the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June was illegal, citing the Posse Comitatus Act, a 19th-century law that restricts the use of military forces for domestic law enforcement.
Trump’s announcement came after he criticized Portland, claiming the city was “ravaged by war” and accusing protesters of attacking ICE facilities. He said the National Guard had to protect those facilities, which he claimed were “under siege” by Antifa and other “domestic terrorists.”
Governor Kotek denied Trump’s characterizations, calling the situation in Portland far from the “anarchy” he described. She also said she had been in communication with other Democratic governors, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who were facing similar threats from the administration.
Trump has previously threatened to deploy the National Guard in cities run by Democratic mayors, including Chicago, Baltimore, and New Orleans. In August, he authorized troops in Washington, D.C., and more recently, a task force was created to mobilize forces in Memphis, Tennessee, a move supported by Republican Gov. Bill Lee.