Newsom to sue Trump admin over National Guard deployment to Portland: ‘Abuse of law and power’

WASHINGTON, DC: California Gov Gavin Newsom announced that he will sue the Trump administration after it ordered 300 California National Guard troops to deploy to Portland, Oregon — a move he called “a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.”

“This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power,” Newsom said in a statement.

“The Trump Administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of the law itself and putting into action their dangerous words — ignoring court orders and treating judges, even those appointed by the president himself, as political opponents,” he said.

Newsom alleges Trump using US military as ‘political weapon’

Newsom urged Americans to “speak out” against what he described as an authoritarian use of the military for political ends. “This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power,” he said.

“The commander-in-chief is using the US military as a political weapon against American citizens. 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,” he said.

Newsom also posted on X, “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. We are taking this fight back to court. The public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States.” 

Judge blocks Trump’s troop order as Newsom vows legal fight

The governor’s announcement came a day after a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland.

US District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s authorization to federalize the Oregon Guard.

The ruling sided with Oregon Gov Tina Kotek, Attorney General Dan Rayfield, and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, who called the federal move “heavy-handed” and unlawful.

Trump defends National Guard deployment amid Portland ICE protests

President Donald Trump ordered the deployment following ongoing protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland.

Announcing the move last month on his Truth Social platform, the president claimed the building was “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”

Trump has repeatedly defended the use of National Guard forces to “restore order” in cities he says are plagued by “radical left chaos.”

This latest deployment marks the second time Trump has moved to federalize the California National Guard, facing stiff opposition from Gavin Newsom.

In June, the president ordered 4,000 troops and about 700 Marines to Los Angeles during protests against ICE raids—a move later deemed illegal by a federal court.

Last month, a judge ruled that the administration’s earlier order violated the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of the US military for civilian law enforcement.

Newsom’s legal challenge sets up another high-profile confrontation between the California governor and the White House, continuing a years-long feud over federal overreach.