A federal judge has halted the Trump administration's effort to deploy Texas National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. The effort is a part of an attempt to use out-of-state troops in response to ongoing protests.
U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order that bars the federal government from relocating or deploying any National Guard troops to Portland under Title 10 authority.
The order came after reports that the administration had authorized Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to mobilize up to 400 Texas National Guard members for potential use in Portland and Chicago.
Judge Immergut said the move appeared to be in "direct contravention" of her previous order, which already blocked the mobilization of Oregon's own National Guard.
During the recent hearing, the Judge pressed a Justice Department attorney on whether the administration was simply trying to "circumvent" the court's decision.
The ruling has placed Greg Abbott's administration in an unusual position. While Texas Troops were listed for deployment, the state had not yet confirmed participation before the restraining order was placed.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek (D) and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) both urged Governor Abbott (R) to reject the plan, referring to it as a misuse of military misuse.
"The president cannot keep playing whack-a-mole with different states' guard units to get around court orders and the rule of law," said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
The restraining order remains in effect for 14 days while the Ninth Circuit reviews the administration's appeal.
