US Court Allows Trump to Deploy National Guard Troops in Portland

A United States federal appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump may deploy National Guard troops to the city of Portland, Oregon — despite objections from the state’s Democratic governor.

The decision marks the latest escalation in a long-running legal and political battle between the Trump administration and left-leaning states, which accuse the White House of authoritarian overreach and the militarisation of domestic law enforcement.

In its ruling on Monday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stated:

“After considering the record at this preliminary stage, we conclude that it is likely that the President lawfully exercised his statutory authority when he federalised the state’s National Guard.”

This judgment overturns an earlier stay issued by a lower court, effectively clearing the way for the deployment of 200 National Guard troops to Portland. The troops are expected to secure federal buildings amid ongoing protests that officials say have disrupted immigration enforcement operations.

The Trump administration argued that violent protests and attacks on federal property justified federal intervention. Portland, alongside Chicago, has become a focal point in Trump’s campaign to assert federal power in cities he frequently describes as “lawless” and “war-ravaged.”

Oregon’s state government, however, has consistently opposed such federal interventions. Governor Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed suit against the administration earlier this year, arguing that Trump’s federalisation of the Oregon National Guard undermines state sovereignty.

Circuit Judge Susan Graber, dissenting from the majority opinion, sharply criticised the decision, warning that it posed a grave risk to constitutional balance and civil liberties.

“Given Portland protesters’ well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits, inflatable frog costumes, or nothing at all when expressing their disagreement with ICE, observers may be tempted to view the majority’s ruling as merely absurd,” she wrote.
“But today’s decision is not merely absurd. It erodes core constitutional principles, including sovereign States’ control over their militias and the people’s First Amendment rights.”

Attorney General Dan Rayfield called for an immediate “en banc” review, which would convene the full panel of senior judges to reconsider the ruling:

“Today’s ruling, if allowed to stand, would give the President unilateral power to put Oregon soldiers on our streets with almost no justification. We are on a dangerous path in America.”

Governor Tina Kotek condemned the administration’s move as an act of dishonesty and political intimidation:

“The Trump administration is being dishonest, and these actions to deploy troops are a gross, un-American abuse of power. I want to hear directly from the President what he expects National Guard troops to do in a city where people protest peacefully.”

The case underscores broader national tensions between the federal government and progressive states over law enforcement, protest rights, and the use of military power within US borders.

While President Trump insists that deploying federal forces is necessary to “restore order,” critics argue that such measures blur the line between civilian policing and military control, undermining democratic governance.

The Ninth Circuit’s decision may yet face reversal pending further appeal — but for now, the ruling empowers the federal government to send troops into Portland, deepening the divide between Washington and state leaders determined to resist what they see as unconstitutional encroachment.