California and Oregon have filed a lawsuit to block the deployment of 200 California National Guard troops to Portland, citing a “breathtaking abuse of the law and power” by the Trump administration. The lawsuit seeks to stop a federal order that aims to support US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal personnel in enforcing federal law and protecting federal property amid nationwide protests over immigration crackdowns.
The Pentagon announced that the troops would be dispatched to Portland to assist with official duties, but California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and Oregon maintain that the deployment of out-of-state guard troops requires a separate court decision. A federal judge in Oregon has issued a temporary block on any deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, including those from other states such as California.
The dispute follows a previous decision by the same judge that blocked the Trump administration from deploying Oregon’s own National Guard to Portland amid protests. The Trump administration claims that the troop deployments are necessary due to the unrest in Portland, with the president stating that “Portland is burning to the ground.” However, local officials have denied this claim.
The development is part of broader tensions between states and the federal government over the use of military force in domestic settings. Protests have erupted in several US cities, including Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver, with demonstrators clashing with federal officers and resulting in several arrests. The Trump administration has previously deployed National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles to quell unrest over immigration raids, which has been a central theme of his election campaign.
The lawsuit by California and Oregon seeks to extend the temporary block on the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, with the court order set to remain in place until at least October 19. The legal challenge highlights the ongoing tensions between the federal government and states over the use of military force in domestic settings, and the significance of the issue is likely to be reinforced in the coming weeks as the legal proceedings unfold.