On the morning of September 29, 2025, the political standoff between state and federal authorities in the Pacific Northwest reached a new intensity. The Oregon Department of Justice filed a request in federal court to temporarily block President Donald Trump’s order to federalize and deploy 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland for a 60-day mission, citing constitutional and legal violations. The move, which state officials say came without warning or local consultation, has sparked a broader debate about federal intervention in local law enforcement—and cities across the region are bracing for what might come next.
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon quickly set a hearing for the temporary restraining order request for Friday, October 3, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle. If granted, the order would immediately halt the Trump administration’s plan, which was announced over the previous weekend by President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In a memo sent to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Hegseth detailed that the National Guard would operate under a joint federal military command based in Colorado, not under state authority.
Governor Kotek, who serves as the commander of the Oregon National Guard, has been unequivocal: she has no intention of deploying state troops. "Their desire to call up Oregon National Guard members based on faulty information is highly problematic," Kotek said at a press conference on Monday afternoon, as reported by the Oregon Capital Chronicle. She reiterated that there is no insurrection in Oregon and no threat to public safety that would justify such a deployment. Kotek also emphasized the disruptive impact on Guard members and their families, noting, “They are our neighbors and friends. They are citizen soldiers who have day jobs. They don’t have a clear mission. We don’t have a clear timeline. That is very disruptive to members and their families.”
The Trump administration’s rationale for the deployment has centered on protecting federal property—specifically U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in Portland—which the president described as being under siege by Antifa and other domestic terrorists. In a social media post on September 27, Trump declared he would send troops to "war ravaged" Portland, a characterization local officials dispute. Trump did not notify Kotek, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, or other local leaders in advance of his decision, further fueling local resentment.
Portland officials, including Assistant Chief of Operations Craig Dobson of the Portland Police Bureau, argue that the federal deployment is unnecessary and potentially harmful. In a declaration to the court, Dobson wrote, "Portland is not under siege, war-ravaged, or otherwise a particularly violent or unruly major city. There is no law-enforcement or public-order need for a federal deployment to Portland." According to Dobson, crime in the city is actually down: murders have halved compared to the same time last year, and injury shootings, rapes, burglaries, and robberies are all declining. Oregon State Police echoed these findings, asserting that federal officers would likely create more trouble than they would prevent.
The legal challenge spearheaded by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield alleges that the federal government’s actions violate both the 10th Amendment—which reserves police powers to the states—and the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally forbids the use of military personnel for domestic law enforcement. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of both the state and the city of Portland, also accuses federal officials of singling out Portland for political retaliation. "The President’s response to federalize 200 National Guard members for 60 days is not about keeping people safe—it’s about chasing headlines at the expense of our community," Rayfield said in a statement.
The local response has not been limited to the courtroom. Portland City Councilor Mitch Green, an Army veteran, called on Guard troops to protest any deployment ordered by Trump and Hegseth. In a video statement on Monday, Green urged, "For those of you still serving, I want to remind you that your oath of service requires you to support the constitution of the U.S. against all enemies both foreign and domestic. That oath does not grant the president a right to your absolute obedience." Meanwhile, a coalition of more than a dozen Portland-area mayors, as well as the mayors of Eugene and Bend, issued a joint letter vowing to coordinate on monitoring federal law enforcement deployments and to join lawsuits as needed against the federal government.
The political reverberations of the Portland standoff have been felt up the coast in Seattle, where Mayor Bruce Harrell and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown held a public press conference on the same day, urging President Trump not to send federal troops to their city. "We do not need the federal government bringing in armored vehicles, semiautomatic weapons, military personnel to make us ‘safer.’ There is not an insurrection here," Harrell said, according to The Seattle Times. He added, "Our message today is very clear: Stay out of Seattle."
Federal officials have repeatedly labeled Seattle unsafe in recent weeks, with Trump even suggesting moving 2026 FIFA World Cup matches out of the city due to security concerns. Donald Trump Jr. has also disparaged both Seattle and Portland, calling them "craphole cities" and raising the prospect of sending in federal troops. Harrell, joined at the press conference by Police Chief Shon Barnes, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, and City Council members Sara Nelson and Alexis Mercedes Rinck, emphasized that Seattle’s leadership has received no communication from the federal government about any plans for the city. In anticipation of possible intervention, Harrell announced plans to issue an executive order to strengthen local policies and prevent unconstitutional federal encroachment.
Seattle officials are not alone in their concerns. Brown, Washington’s attorney general, said his office is preparing to respond if the state is faced with a federal deployment. "The only thing consistent from the president’s policy is that he indeed is attacking the people in places that didn’t vote for him or that he views as an opposition," Brown said. He described witnessing the impact of federal troops policing Washington, D.C., saying, "To see American troops walking the streets and what that does for that city, and the tension that the residents of Washington, D.C., are feeling, and the fear that business leaders and community members and people who are just visiting that city are experiencing is unprecedented. It is un-American and I think it’s ultimately unlawful."
Federal deployments have triggered similar legal battles elsewhere. In California, a federal judge recently ruled that sending troops to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act. Washington, D.C., has also sued over federal deployments. The legal arguments in these cases have centered on whether the president’s statutory authority—such as responding to rebellion or enforcing federal law—truly applies to the current circumstances.
Back in Portland, the protests that prompted the federal deployment have, by most accounts, remained mostly peaceful. The ICE processing facility south of downtown has drawn weekly demonstrations, usually numbering only a few dozen. Following Trump’s call for federal reinforcement, crowds swelled to a couple hundred, but only two arrests for assault were made over the weekend. Local leaders remain steadfast in their message: there is no crisis that warrants military intervention, and any such action risks undermining trust and stability in their communities.
The coming days will be pivotal. With a federal court hearing scheduled and political tensions running high, the Pacific Northwest finds itself at the center of a national debate over the limits of federal power, the role of the military in civil society, and the autonomy of states and cities to govern their own affairs. The outcome may well shape the contours of American federalism for years to come.
