LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, that the state will sue the Trump administration for deploying California National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, accusing President Trump of “using the US military as a political weapon against American citizens.”
In a press release, Newsom revealed that Trump is sending 300 California National Guard members to Portland after a federal judge temporarily blocked his attempt to federalize the Oregon National Guard.
“They are on their way there now,” the statement read. “This is a breathtaking abuse of law and power. The Trump administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself, putting into action their dangerous rhetoric — ignoring court orders and treating judges, even those appointed by the President himself, as political opponents.”
“We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States,” Newsom added.
President’s defense
Trump defended the deployment, claiming it was necessary because Portland was “under siege” by protesters opposing immigration enforcement actions carried out by federal agents.
On Sept. 27, Trump ordered “all necessary troops” to be sent to Portland, placing 200 members of the Oregon National Guard under the command of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In response, the State of Oregon and the city of Portland filed a lawsuit on Sept. 28. Federal Judge Karin Immergut ruled Saturday that the protests were “not significantly violent or disruptive” enough to justify Trump’s use of Oregon’s National Guard.
The Trump administration has since appealed the ruling to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco. This same court previously reinstated Trump’s authority to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles in June, after a federal judge had ordered the action halted. / XINHUA