The Trump administration activated 200 National Guard troops for Portland, Ore., hours before a federal judge was expected to rule on whether to block the deployment, escalating a fight with state and city officials over protests near a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. U.S. Northern Command said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the activation "to support and protect federal personnel and property in the Portland area," including the ICE detention center at the center of recurring demonstrations.
Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, said in an emailed statement that she "will continue to hold the line on Oregon values" while awaiting U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut's decision. "I know Oregonians want to know what happens next but right now, we need to be patient," the statement added. "I ask that Oregonians who want to speak out about the recent actions do so peacefully and remain calm."
The legal clash unfolded Friday after lawyers for Oregon and Portland sought a temporary restraining order to halt the mobilization. Immergut, a Trump appointee, heard two hours of arguments and said she would rule by day's end or Saturday. She pressed federal lawyers on the necessity of troops, asking why they were needed if local police "appeared to have the situation at hand," according to the court session summary.
City attorney Caroline Turco argued the Guard would inflame tensions. "We ultimately have a perception-versus-reality problem," Turco said. "The perception is that it is World War II out here. The reality is that this is a beautiful city with a sophisticated resource that can handle the situation." Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eric Hamilton countered that federal protection was needed against "cruel radicals who have laid siege" to the ICE complex and described past incidents involving incendiaries and rocks.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is weighing fiscal penalties. "We will not fund states that allow anarchy," she said, adding: "This is not peaceful protesting. This is left-wing anarchy that has been destroying a great American city for years."
California confirmed it is supplying part of the Guard contingent at the president's direction. Gov. Gavin Newsom's office told KTVU some federalized California National Guard troops would be sent north, and Newsom said he is prepared to sue "based on what the soldiers do in Oregon."
The deployment revives memories of Portland's combustible 2020 summer, when the arrival of federal officers coincided with nighttime clashes downtown. Portland Police Chief Bob Day urged against viewing current operations through a partisan lens. "The irony here is we were condemned in 2020 for our approach towards the left, and now we're being condemned in 2025 for our approach to the right," Day said.
Faith leaders urged restraint as Guard members reported for duty and trained for civil-disturbance response. "It has real consequences for families, neighborhoods, businesses and those who are already facing fear and uncertainty," Reverend Dr. LeRoy Haynes Jr. said. "We ask Portlanders to continue with the longstanding tradition of exercising their First Amendment rights to protest nonviolently, and don't go for the bait."
Recent skirmishes have involved a small number of arrests. A conservative influencer, Nick Sortor, was among three detained outside the ICE facility and later alleged on social media that police were being controlled by "Antifa thugs." Portland officials said arrests were not politically motivated and noted that "Antifa" lacks a formal organization, even as President Donald Trump last month labeled it a terrorist organization.
The administration's public messaging has sharpened. At a gathering of senior officers in Quantico, Va., the president said "America is under invasion from within," and described using "dangerous" American cities run by Democrats as "training grounds" for the armed forces. Oregon officials warn the federal move could cost taxpayers about $10 million. "As the governor has expressed many times to the president, there is no insurrection and no need for military intervention," Kotek spokesperson Roxy Mayer said.
Oregon's case against the federalization is moving on multiple tracks after Judge Michael Simon recused himself because of his spouse's public comments; the matter was reassigned to Immergut. Meanwhile, DHS and the White House have amplified descriptions of "violent riots," claims local outlets and officials say are exaggerated. As Immergut weighs emergency relief, both sides are bracing for a longer court fight over federal authority, state control of Guard units, and the boundary between civil protest and criminal conduct.
