President Donald Trump sharply criticized a federal judge’s decision to block his plan to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, calling the ruling “a disgrace” and accusing the court of undermining presidential authority amid ongoing protests against federal immigration enforcement.
U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday, halting the president’s directive to federalize 200 members of the Oregon National Guard for a 60-day deployment under Title 10 of the U.S. Code. The ruling came after the state of Oregon sued, alleging the move violated the 10th Amendment and exceeded the president’s constitutional authority.
In her 31-page opinion, Judge Immergut emphasized the constitutional limits on federal power.
“This country has a longstanding and foundational tradition of resistance to government overreach, especially in the form of military intrusion into civil affairs,” she wrote. “This is a nation of constitutional law, not martial law.”
The judge ruled that Oregon “would suffer an injury of sovereignty” if the order were allowed to proceed and barred the deployment until at least October 18.
Mr. Trump, visibly angered, lashed out at the decision Sunday. “That judge ought to be ashamed of herself,” he told reporters. “I appointed the judge, and she goes like that — I wasn’t served well.” He doubled down on his assessment of Portland as “burning to the ground,” blaming what he called “agitators and insurrectionists” for violent unrest near immigration facilities.
The Justice Department has filed an appeal with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the president acted within his lawful authority to protect federal personnel and property.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the move: “President Trump is using his lawful authority to direct the National Guard to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following months of violent riots where officers have been assaulted and doxxed by left-wing rioters.”
