President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of approximately 400 Texas National Guard members, along with additional troops from California, as part of a broader federal response to unrest in cities such as Portland and Chicago.
According to a memorandum from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the troops were expected to operate under U.S. Northern Command for a 60-day period, performing “federal protection missions.”
Through an X post, Texas Governor Greg Abbott expressed his support for the move, stating that the Guard would protect federal officials.
Shortly after the deployment order, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut held an emergency hearing on Sunday and issued a temporary injunction blocking the federal government from deploying Oregon’s National Guard troops without the state’s consent. The judge later expanded the order to prohibit the deployment of troops from other states. She stated that the president’s actions were inconsistent with the terms of her original order, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The ruling came amid ongoing legal disputes over whether the federal government can deploy troops into a state without the governor’s approval. In a statement, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said his office had not been consulted and criticized the deployment, stating that National Guard members should not be “used as political props.”
As noted by the BBC, Judge Immergut, who was appointed by Trump, found that the demonstrations cited as justification for the troop deployment were “not significantly violent or disruptive” and said the administration’s actions risked violating constitutional limits on the use of military force in domestic affairs.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek welcomed the ruling, and the Trump administration has signaled that it intends to appeal.
Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom and others have indicated potential legal action over the deployments. It remains unclear whether any troops have been mobilized to Chicago or other cities.
The case is ongoing, with the court scheduled to reconsider the issue by October 18, according to Reuters.
