Trump Sends California Troops Into Oregon — Here’s Why It’s Causing Chaos

Demonstrators protest against recent ICE immigration raids as National Guard officers stand guard in front of a federal building in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. (Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters)

Washington, D.C. — October 5, 2025 - President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of approximately 200 California National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, on Saturday night, defying a federal judge's temporary restraining order that barred any National Guard involvement in the state amid ongoing immigration protests.

The move, which California Gov. Gavin Newsom called "breathtaking abuse of power," has ignited a multi-state legal battle, with Oregon and California filing joint lawsuits Sunday to halt the cross-border troop transfer.

U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued the order late Friday, ruling that the administration lacked sufficient evidence of an "insurrection" to justify federalizing Oregon's National Guard under Title 10 of the U.S. Code.The decision came in response to a lawsuit by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield on behalf of Gov. Tina Kotek, who argued the deployment violated state sovereignty and echoed controversial 2020 federal interventions in Portland.Immergut extended the block Sunday to explicitly prohibit out-of-state units, including California's, but troops had already begun mobilizing by air and ground from Camp Roberts in Monterey County.

The California contingent—primarily from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team—arrived at Portland International Airport in the early hours of Sunday, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirming their mission to "secure federal assets" around the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on South Macadam Avenue.This follows Saturday's clashes, where federal agents deployed tear gas against 400 protesters, arresting six for obstructing operations tied to Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which mandates 2 million annual deportations.

Portland has been a hotspot for demonstrations since August, with weekly rallies drawing crowds protesting ICE raids that have resulted in 120 detentions in the city alone.The ICE building has seen nightly unrest, including attempts to block entrances, prompting Hegseth to invoke the Insurrection Act's provisions despite the judicial stay.

Newsom announced California's suit during a Sacramento press conference Sunday afternoon, accusing Trump of treating the Guard as "political pawns" without gubernatorial consent—a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act limiting military involvement in domestic law enforcement."This isn't about public safety; it's about power and ego," Newsom said, flanked by Attorney General Rob Bonta, who filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.Kotek echoed the sentiment from Salem, stating Oregon is "not a military target" and vowing non-cooperation with the out-of-state forces.

The joint action seeks an emergency injunction, arguing the deployment circumvents Immergut's order and risks escalating violence in a city still scarred by 2020's federal response, which involved 100 DHS agents and drew widespread condemnation.Legal experts predict a hearing by midweek, potentially escalating to the Ninth Circuit.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the suits as "frivolous delays by radical governors," insisting the troops—under federal command—would remain until "order is restored."Trump amplified the rhetoric on Truth Social, calling Portland a "sanctuary for chaos" and praising Hegseth for "getting tough."

This marks the second major Guard dispute in Trump's second term, following Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's objections to 400 Texas troops sent to Chicago last week.The California deployment, costing an estimated $2 million daily per Pentagon disclosures, occurs amid a government shutdown now in its 10th day, straining federal budgets.

Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, have filed amicus briefs supporting the states, warning of "militarization of dissent" in sanctuary jurisdictions where 21% of residents are foreign-born.Protests swelled Sunday evening outside the ICE facility, with demonstrators chanting against the "invasion" as Guard units established a perimeter.

As appeals loom and troops dig in, the standoff tests constitutional boundaries, with analysts forecasting Supreme Court involvement by month's end. For Portland's 650,000 residents, the arrival of unfamiliar uniforms from 800 miles south symbolizes a deepening national rift over immigration and federal authority.