Battle Over Federalized National Guard Deployments

Legal battles have erupted after the Trump administration federalized National Guard troops and ordered deployments to Portland and other cities, with U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issuing temporary restraining orders halting deployments to Portland. The Justice Department has asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for a stay to allow deployments while litigation continues; the 9th Circuit previously allowed similar federalization in California. Separate lawsuits have been filed by Illinois and the city of Chicago to block federalization there, and a federal judge in that matter gave the administration a deadline to explain why the deployments should proceed. President Trump said he is considering invoking the Insurrection Act to justify sending federal troops if courts and local officials block deployments, and the Justice Department reported dozens of arrests related to the unrest. Governors have split—California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sued over federalizing roughly 300 California Guard members and rejected the move, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker criticized deployments to his state, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defended use of the Texas Guard—highlighting a tense state–federal clash. Judges have constrained the administration’s tactics, including admonishing a Trump lawyer for attempting to circumvent the Oregon court’s orders, signaling a contentious legal road ahead.