Trump can deploy National Guard in Oregon, rules appeals court

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Trump administration can deploy National Guard troops in Oregon, overruling a lower court that had blocked the move.

The 2-1 decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that President Donald Trump likely acted within his statutory authority to protect federal property and personnel.

Judge Karin J. Immergut, a Trump appointee, had halted the deployment, saying Trump exaggerated violence in Portland, describing the city as “war ravaged” with ICE facilities under siege.

The appeals court, however, said that Trump’s decision deserved deference, even if some claims were overstated. It criticized the lower court for substituting “its own determination of the relevant facts and circumstances.”

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield promised to seek a full 9th Circuit review, warning that the ruling gives the President almost unilateral power over state troops. 

The White House said the decision safeguards federal personnel amid repeated clashes, including protesters blocking vehicles, spitting on authorities, and starting fires outside ICE facilities.

The ruling applies only to Oregon’s National Guard troops. Guards from other states remain barred unless further appeals succeed.