A U.S. district judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s use of military force to counter protests against immigration officials.
Published November 8, 2025
President Donald Trump illegally ordered the deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, a federal judge has ruled, ruling that the president’s use of the military for security duties in American cities was a legal setback.
Friday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut was the first to permanently block President Trump from using military force to quell protests against immigration authorities.
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Immergut, an appointee of President Donald Trump, rejected the administration’s claims that protesters at immigrant detention facilities were waging an insurrection that legally justified sending troops to Portland.
Democrats argue that Trump is abusing military powers intended for true emergencies such as invasion or armed insurrection.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Layfield called the ruling a “huge victory” and “confirms that the president cannot send the Guard to Oregon without a legal basis.”
“The court is holding the current administration accountable to truth and the rule of law,” Layfield said in a social media post.
BREAKING NEWS: Final Court Order Obtained to Block National Guard Deployment!
Today’s ruling is a huge victory for Oregon. The court is holding this regime accountable to truth and the rule of law. pic.twitter.com/ffzgj0zCjM
— Attorney General Dan Rayfield (@AGDanRayfield) November 8, 2025
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson also praised the decision, saying it “justifies Portland’s position while reaffirming the rule of law that protects our community.”
“As I’ve said from the beginning, the number of federal troops needed in our city is zero,” Wilson said, according to local media reports.
The city of Portland and the Oregon Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit in September, accusing the Trump administration of sometimes exaggerating violence to justify sending in troops under a law that authorizes presidents to deploy troops in the event of an insurrection.
Justice Department lawyers echoed President Trump’s description of Portland as “war-torn” and said the city’s violent siege was overwhelming federal officials.
But lawyers in Oregon and Portland said the violence was rare and isolated and contained by local police.
“This case is about whether we are a constitutional country or a martial law country,” said Portland attorney Caroline Turco.
The Trump administration is likely to appeal Friday’s ruling, and the case could eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
At least 32 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the Portland protests that began in June, a Reuters review of court records found. Eleven of the 32 people indicted pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges, and those convicted were given probation.
About half of the defendants were charged with assaulting federal officers, including 14 felonies and seven misdemeanors.
Prosecutors dismissed two cases.
The indictment states that protesters typically kicked and shoved officers while resisting arrest.
Three judges, including Immergut, have now issued a preliminary ruling that Trump cannot deploy the National Guard under the Trump administration’s emergency legal powers.
