Oregon Sues Trump to Stop ‘Unlawful’ Portland Troop Deployment

Oregon and the City of Portland sued President Donald Trump Sunday to stop his order sending federal troops into the city, calling the move “patently unlawful” and a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

The plaintiffs argue that Trump’s order rests on false claims and illegally commandeers state forces for federal law enforcement.

“Defendants’ deployment of troops to Oregon is patently unlawful,” the complaint reads. “Defendants’ purpose in federalizing those troops — to integrate them into federal law enforcement activities in Portland — also violates the Posse Comitatus Act.”

They warn that Trump is trampling state sovereignty to punish a Democrat-led city he has long targeted.

“Defendants’ actions violate the Tenth Amendment’s guarantee that the police power — including the authority to promote safety at protests and deter violent crime — resides with the states, not the federal government,” the complaint adds. “By singling out a particular disfavored jurisdiction for political retribution, these actions also eviscerate the constitutional principle that the states’ sovereignty should be treated equally.”

The lawsuit landed just as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo confirming that 200 members of the Oregon National Guard have been “called into Federal service effective immediately for a period of 60 days.”

The order directs that guard members operate under U.S. Northern Command, underscoring the seriousness of Trump’s push to put state forces under federal control in Portland despite state leaders’ objections.

Oregon and Portland are asking a federal court to immediately block the order and bar Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from deploying National Guard members in Oregon.

The lawsuit frames the deployment as politically motivated and dangerous. If allowed to stand, the plaintiffs warn nothing will stop Trump from doing the same to any state that disagrees with his policies.