Attorney General Bonta: Trump-Appointed Judge Blocks Trump’s Unlawful Redeployment of California National Guard Troops to Portland

OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today secured emergency relief from the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon blocking the Trump Administration's unlawful redeployment of federalized California National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. Yesterday, Judge Karin Immergut, appointed by President Trump in 2019, enjoined the Trump Administration from federalizing the Oregon National Guard, finding the federalization order to be unlawful. The Trump Administration subsequently sought to circumvent this order by redeploying troops from California, a move that Attorney General Bonta and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield challenged earlier today in court.

"The Trump Administration's flagrant disregard for the courts was on full display when it sought to circumvent Judge Immergut's order blocking the federalization of the Oregon National Guard by redeploying troops from Los Angeles to Portland," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "This disrespect for the rule of law cannot stand-and I'm glad the court agreed. The President's move to deploy the National Guard of one state over the objections of its Governor to another state over the objections of a second Governor is well outside of the norms or practices of any President in recent history. But this President is determined to take as much power as the courts will give him. This fight isn't over, but today's rebuke of the President's illegal actions is a step in the right direction."

"The rule of law has prevailed. This ruling is more than a legal victory, it's a victory for American democracy itself," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "Donald Trump tried to turn our soldiers into instruments of his political will. While our fight continues, tonight the rule of law said 'hell no'."