California, US: California Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed on Sunday that a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to deploy 300 National Guard troops from California to Portland, Oregon. The decision came after a legal challenge asserting that the deployment exceeded the president’s constitutional authority.

Governor Newsom took to X to announce the ruling, writing:

“A federal judge BLOCKED Donald Trump’s unlawful attempt to DEPLOY 300 OF OUR NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO PORTLAND. The court granted our request for a Temporary Restraining Order — HALTING ANY FEDERALIZATION, RELOCATION, OR DEPLOYMENT of ANY GUARD MEMBERS TO OREGON FROM ANY STATE. Trump’s abuse of power won’t stand.”

Background of the deployment

The controversy stems from President Trump’s order to mobilise California Guard personnel into Oregon after a federal court blocked his attempt to federalise Oregon’s own National Guard troops. Trump justified the deployment, stating the troops were needed to respond to protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland.

According to the Pentagon, approximately 200 Guard members already serving in California were reassigned to Portland, with another 100 expected to follow. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek confirmed that around 100 had arrived on Saturday, with more en route on Sunday.

Court’s stance

The federal judge, Karin Immergut of the US District Court in Oregon, issued a temporary restraining order preventing Trump and the Defence Department from mobilising 200 Oregon Guard members for a 60-day mission. The judge noted that she anticipated a trial court would find that the president had exceeded his constitutional authority.

Governor Newsom reiterated that California would challenge the deployment legally, stating:

“We are taking this fight back to court. The public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States.”

Wider implications and previous deployments

Trump has also sought to deploy National Guard units to other Democratic-led cities, including Chicago, where Governor JB Pritzker reported that 300 Guard troops were expected.

Earlier this year, nearly 5,000 National Guard soldiers and US Marines were dispatched to Los Angeles during protests over immigration enforcement. A federal judge later ruled that those forces had been used illegally for domestic law enforcement, although that decision is currently under appeal.

The current case highlights tensions between federal and state authority regarding the use of National Guard troops, especially in response to domestic unrest. Legal experts say it raises significant constitutional questions about the limits of presidential power.

Conclusion

The halt of California Guard deployment to Portland marks a notable judicial intervention against what state officials describe as overreach by the president. The case underscores ongoing disputes over federal authority versus state control of National Guard forces, and the outcome could have implications for future domestic deployments of military personnel.