US federal judge again extends injunction on National Guard deployment in Oregon News
U.S. Northern Command, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
US federal judge again extends injunction on National Guard deployment in Oregon

A US federal judge granted a preliminary injunction on Sunday that blocks the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to Oregon, Texas and California until 5 p.m. Friday.

District Court Judge Karin Immergut in Portland, a first-term Trump appointee, found that the administration’s federalization and proposed deployment of National Guard troops to Oregon in response to protests outside a federal building in Oregon exceeded statutory authority under 10 U.S.C. §12406 and the Tenth Amendment. Immergut found that the president did not have a “colorable basis to conclude that protesters’ activities significantly impeded the ability of federal officers to execute the laws.”

Immergut has granted relief several times in recent weeks, following the initial suit filed by the state of Oregon and the city of Portland on September 29 against President Donald Trump that sought to temporarily block the deployment of National Guard troops into the city. The judge issued an initial injunction on October 4, which was later extended until October 29.

The court held a three-day trial last week during which over 750 exhibits were introduced in evidence. Immergut wrote, “The interest of justice requires that this Court complete a thorough review of the exhibits and trial transcripts before issuing a final decision on the merits.”

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield expressed support for the ruling, stating:

Today’s ruling is a step toward truth and accountability. From the beginning, this case has been about making sure the facts—not the President’s political whims—guide how the law is applied… We’re grateful the court is taking the time to get it right, and we’ll keep doing everything we can to protect Oregon’s ability to govern itself and keep our communities safe.

Until the final order is given, National Guard troops will remain federalized but not deployed. Lawyers for the Trump administration have stated they plan to appeal any decision made against them to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Concurrent with protests against National Guard deployment, the Oregon Common Sense Institute has reported that public concern over crime in the state has increased in recent months. A May 2024 poll revealed that 78 percent of Portland-area voters disapprove of how local government has handled crime. A December 2023 poll further showed that nearly 74 percent of respondents were concerned about becoming a victim of crime, while 90 percent were dissatisfied with public safety.

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On February 1, 1790, the Supreme Court of the United States convened for the first time. The meeting was held at the Merchants' Exchange Building in New York City, then the national capital. Chief Justice John Jay presided over the first Court with five Associate Justices: James Wilson, John Blair, James Iredell, William Cushing, and John Rutledge. However, due to the limitations of 18th-century transportation technology, the meeting was postponed by Jay until the following day. The first meeting was held primarily to organize the Supreme Court. The Justices did not hear their first actual case, Chrisholm v. Georgia, until 1792.

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Sir Edward Coke, Chief Justice of the King's Bench and author of law reports and commentaries (including, most famously, Coke on Littleton), was born on February 1, 1552. Learn more about Sir Edward Coke.