Trump Sends 200 National Guard to Portland Despite Objections/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump is deploying 200 Oregon National Guard troops under federal authority to protect immigration officers and federal property, sparking backlash from state leaders. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield are challenging the move, calling it politically motivated and unconstitutional. The White House has not issued a formal comment.
Trump Orders Oregon Troop Deployment Quick Looks
- Trump orders 200 Oregon National Guard troops under federal control
- Deployment aims to protect ICE facilities and federal buildings
- Oregon leaders object, citing state sovereignty and lack of threat
- Gov. Kotek calls state “not a military target”
- Attorney General Rayfield files federal lawsuit challenging legality
- Defense Department memo draws comparison to LA troop deployment
- Trump authorizes “Full Force” against “domestic terrorists” in Portland
- No active-duty troops confirmed for Oregon at this time
Trump Sends 200 National Guard to Portland Despite Objections
Deep Look
President Donald Trump’s administration is moving forward with the deployment of 200 National Guard troops in Oregon, placing them under federal control despite strong opposition from the state’s top officials. The decision is intended to bolster protection for federal immigration enforcement officers and U.S. government facilities amid what the White House describes as ongoing threats.
According to a Defense Department memo obtained by Oregon officials on Sunday, the deployment follows a directive issued by Trump and parallels a similar troop mobilization to Los Angeles earlier this year. However, this operation is significantly smaller in scale.
While the memo does not specifically name Portland as the primary target, the president did so explicitly in a weekend social media post. Trump claimed the action was necessary to protect the city from what he called “domestic terrorists,” naming Antifa and referencing damage to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) facilities.
“I directed the Pentagon, at the request of Secretary Kristi Noem, to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland,” Trump wrote. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”
Governor Tina Kotek, a Democrat, spoke with the president on Sunday to express her opposition. “Oregon is our home — not a military target,” she said in a sharply worded statement following the conversation.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced plans to challenge the federal action in court. “This is not about public safety,” Rayfield said. “It’s about the president flexing political muscle under the guise of law and order, chasing a media hit at the expense of our community.”
Rayfield has filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that Trump’s move is a clear overreach of executive power and violates constitutional boundaries between state and federal authority.
The memo from the Department of Defense draws a direct comparison to the June deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles during protests against immigration raids. That deployment included more than 700 active-duty Marines who were later withdrawn after public backlash. For Oregon, however, the White House has stopped short — for now — of deploying active-duty forces.
The new deployment in Oregon will involve only National Guard members being placed under federal command, meaning they will follow directives issued by the Department of Defense and not state leadership. Pentagon officials declined to comment publicly on the authenticity of the memo or the deployment’s scope, and the White House has yet to formally respond.
The federalization of the Oregon National Guard follows a growing pattern in which the Trump administration has used military resources to respond to what it frames as internal threats. In addition to Los Angeles, the president previously sent more than 1,000 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., where they have patrolled the streets for weeks. Trump has also floated the idea of sending troops into other cities, such as Chicago and Memphis, though those deployments have yet to materialize.
In Portland, the situation is particularly sensitive. The city has been the site of frequent protests since 2020, and any federal intervention is likely to be met with resistance from both local officials and civil rights groups. The new deployment may further inflame tensions in a city where residents have pushed back for years against what they view as federal overreach.
Local leaders and legal experts are raising alarms about what they see as a politicization of the military, especially given the lack of any immediate threat that would justify such an intervention.
“This is a political stunt,” said a former senior Pentagon adviser, who asked not to be named. “There is no credible security threat in Portland that requires this level of federal military mobilization. It’s about optics and distraction.”
The president has leaned heavily into “law and order” messaging as he gears up for his re-election campaign, and the Oregon deployment appears to be another move in that strategy. With tensions high and federal authority in question, the situation sets the stage for a legal and political showdown between the Trump administration and the state of Oregon.
Meanwhile, the National Guard troops are expected to begin arriving in Portland early this week. Their mission, as described in the Pentagon memo, will focus on securing federal buildings and assisting with the protection of immigration enforcement officers.
Whether the troops will be engaged in direct law enforcement activity remains unclear. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security were seen on Sunday inspecting security perimeters at ICE facilities in Portland, indicating preparations for the Guard’s arrival are underway.
With lawsuits filed and protests expected, Oregon now becomes the latest flashpoint in the national debate over federal power, military intervention, and the boundaries of executive authority.
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