SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that President Donald Trump is sending 300 California National Guard members to Oregon. This development follows a judge’s decision to block the administration’s attempt to deploy Oregon’s guard to Portland.
Newsom pledged Sunday to fight the move in court.
There hasn’t been any official communication from Washington about the mobilization of the California National Guard to Oregon. This mirrors a recent case where Illinois’ governor revealed the activation of National Guard troops in his state without federal announcement.
During a protest on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Portland, Oregon, law enforcement officers used tear gas outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
AP Photo/Jenny Kane
Gov. Newsom, a Democrat, issued a statement on Sunday criticizing the deployment as a “breathtaking abuse of the law and power.”
“The commander-in-chief is employing the U.S. military as a political tool against American citizens,” Newsom stated. “We’re poised to take this battle to court. The public cannot remain quiet while the president displays such reckless and authoritarian behavior.”
On Saturday, a Trump-appointed federal judge in Oregon temporarily halted the administration’s plan to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland. The intervention sought to safeguard federal property amid ongoing protests, despite Trump labeling the city as “war-ravaged,” a characterization dismissed by Oregon officials and Portland locals.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, issued the order pending further arguments in the suit. She said the relatively small protests the city has seen did not justify the use of federalized forces and allowing the deployment could harm Oregon’s state sovereignty.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has recently been the site of nightly protests.
Trump has characterized both Portland and Chicago as cities rife with crime and unrest, calling the former a “war zone” and suggesting apocalyptic force was needed to quell problems in the latter. Since the start of his second term, he has sent or talked about sending troops to 10 cities.
Trump authorized the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago on Saturday.
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