FILE - California National Guard are positioned at the Federal Building, June 10, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles.
Eric Thayer / AP
President Donald Trump is sending 300 California National Guard members to Oregon after a judge blocked the administration from deploying that state’s guard to Portland, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom pledged Sunday to fight the move in court.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement Sunday morning that 101 members of the California National Guard had arrived in Oregon by plane Saturday night. More soldiers were on their way, she said.
“We have received no official notification or correspondence from the federal government regarding this action by the President,” Kotek said. “This action appears to (be) intentional to circumvent yesterday’s ruling by a federal judge.”
There was no official announcement from Washington that the California National Guard was being called up and sent to Oregon, just as was the case when Illinois’ governor made a similar announcement Saturday about troops in his state being activated.
Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement that California personnel were on their way Sunday and called the deployment “a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.”
After a federal court blocked his attempt to federalize the Oregon National Guard, Donald Trump is deploying 300 California National Guard personnel into Oregon. They are on their way there now.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) October 5, 2025
We are taking this fight back to court.
The public cannot stay silent in the face…
A Trump-appointed federal judge in Oregon on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland to protect federal property amid protests after the president called the city “war-ravaged.”
Oregon officials and Portland residents alike said that description was ludicrous.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has recently been the site of nightly protests. Saturday night saw federal agents escalate their tactics against protesters, deploying tear gas and pepper balls in an effort to clear the area in front of the building.
Speaking to reporters Sunday morning, Trump lashed out against Immergut’s decision.
“Portland is burning to the ground,” Trump said. “Its insurrectionists are all over the place. Its Antifa. And yet the politicians who are petrified.
“Politicians are afraid for their lives. That’s the only reason that they say like there’s nothing happening. And you’ve seen it. The place is burning down and they pretend like there’s nothing happening.”
Officials in Oregon and Portland have consistently pushed back at the president’s narrative that violent protesters have overwhelmed Portland.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said in a statement Sunday that the city does not have a need for the National Guard.
“This action circumvents the court’s decision and threatens to inflame a community that has remained peaceful,” Wilson said Sunday morning. “Our legal team is coordinating with our partners and will immediately pursue all lawful steps to enforce the judge’s order and protect Portlanders’ rights.”
