Judge Blocks Trump
In a stunning weekend ruling, a federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s plan to deploy 200 National Guard troops to bring calm to Portland, Oregon, a city that has become a national symbol of disorder and far-left extremism.
Trump’s Push to Secure Portland Hits a Legal Wall
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut — appointed by President Trump — sided with Oregon’s Democrat leaders, granting them a temporary restraining order against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s authorization to federalize the troops.
“This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law,” the judge wrote, freezing the president’s effort to protect federal facilities and restore law and order.
Immergut also denied the administration’s request to pause her ruling during appeal, meaning the order will stand for at least two weeks, pending a full trial scheduled for October 29.
Democrats Accuse Trump of “Overreach” While Streets Burn
Oregon’s leadership — Governor Tina Kotek and Portland city officials — sued the administration last month after Trump vowed to protect “war-ravaged” Portland and its besieged ICE offices.
Their attorneys argued the president exaggerated the crisis, calling his reasoning “fictional.” Portland’s legal team insisted Trump’s concerns about rampant crime and radical unrest were “not the reality on the ground.”
Trump Stands by His Mission to Defend the Homeland
President Trump has long warned that Democrat-run cities like Portland have become breeding grounds for radical activism and lawlessness. The administration said the deployment of the National Guard was vital to defend federal property, maintain order, and uphold public safety.
Justice Department attorney Eric Hamilton testified that “vicious and cruel radicals” had laid siege to Portland’s ICE building, forcing the Department of Homeland Security to shut it down for three weeks this summer.
He argued the courts must give “great deference” to the president’s authority to federalize troops when national interests are at stake.
Judge Immergut conceded that presidents are owed deference but claimed Trump’s determination “ignored the facts on the ground.” She wrote that his decision was “untethered to reality.”
Trump: ‘We Will Protect America’s Cities’
On Truth Social, President Trump announced on September 27 that he had instructed Defense Secretary Hegseth to deploy troops to defend Portland and its ICE facilities from “Antifa and other domestic terrorists.”
The following day, Hegseth signed a memo activating 200 Oregon National Guard members — even as Governor Kotek objected.
Similar moves have been made in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as the administration takes stronger steps to restore peace and defend law enforcement nationwide.
Liberal States Push Back Against Federal Security Measures
California and Illinois have also joined the legal fight. In California, a judge ruled that Trump’s move to federalize the National Guard violated state control, but a federal appeals court temporarily halted that decision.
In Washington, D.C., and Illinois, Democrat leaders are now asking judges to block similar deployments, despite skyrocketing crime rates in their cities.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently confirmed that the Trump administration plans to federalize National Guard units in Chicago to address “out-of-control” crime and ensure public safety.
Final Word: Trump’s Law-and-Order Vision Faces Resistance
President Trump’s decision to confront chaos in America’s cities is once again facing legal resistance from blue-state officials and liberal judges.
But for millions of Americans watching Portland spiral deeper into disorder, his firm stance on law enforcement remains a beacon of leadership in uncertain times.
