Judge blocks Trump’s National Guard deployment to Portland for two more weeks

A US federal judge has extended an order temporarily blocking President Donald Trump’s administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, as legal battles over the controversial move continue.

US District Judge Karin Immergut, herself a Trump appointee, ruled on Wednesday to keep the restraining order in place for another 14 days, preventing federal troops from being sent to Portland amid protests near the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters.

The judge said the extension would give both her court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals more time to deliberate on the case before it goes to trial on October 29.

The Trump administration has argued that the deployment is necessary to curb violence and lawlessness in Democratic-led cities, but Oregon officials have fiercely pushed back, calling the move unconstitutional and politically motivated.

Oregon’s Attorney General Dan Rayfield welcomed the ruling, saying on social media:

“Regardless of what happens next, Oregon will continue to fight to uphold our laws and the Constitution.”

A spokesperson for the US Department of Justice defended the president’s stance, saying the administration remained “committed to keeping American cities safe” and would continue to defend its actions in court.

Legal and political tensions escalate

The dispute stems from Trump’s late-September announcement that 200 Oregon National Guard troops would be federalized and sent to Portland following months of protests over immigration policies.

Local and state officials immediately filed lawsuits to block the order, arguing that federalizing state troops without consent undermines state authority.

Judge Immergut first issued a temporary block on the deployment, then expanded it after the administration attempted to transfer federalized troops from Los Angeles to Portland — a move critics described as an attempt to bypass the court’s ruling.

A three-judge panel at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is still reviewing whether the administration has the authority to deploy the Oregon Guard. The panel has not yet issued a final decision.

Meanwhile, similar legal challenges have emerged in other states. Last week, Illinois officials sued the federal government over plans to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, calling the action “illegal, dangerous, and unconstitutional.”

As of now, the appeals court has ruled that the Illinois troops may remain under federal control but cannot be deployed while the legal process continues.

The escalating legal fight underscores the deepening rift between the Trump administration and Democratic-led states, many of which accuse the White House of politicizing law enforcement to exert control over local governance.