A federal judge has once again halted President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, in a legal battle over the use of state military forces. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued a temporary restraining order on Sunday night, preventing the federal government from sending California National Guard members or any other state’s troops to Oregon. The ruling came after Trump attempted to bypass an earlier court decision by redirecting the California National Guard following a previous injunction.

The dispute centers on Portland’s South Side, near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, where tensions between federal authorities and local officials have escalated. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Mayor Ted Wheeler, and Attorney General Dan Rayfield had jointly opposed the deployment, arguing it violated constitutional principles. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California also sued the Trump administration over the move, with Immergut siding with state leaders in her latest decision.

Immergut’s order explicitly barred the use of National Guard troops from any state or Washington, D.C., citing violations of federal law and the Tenth Amendment. During an emergency hearing, she criticized the Trump administration for disregarding her previous ruling, calling the actions “direct contravention” of court orders. The judge scheduled a follow-up hearing for October 29 but emphasized the urgency of halting further deployments.

The legal standoff underscores deepening conflicts between federal and state authorities over law enforcement roles in Portland, where protests and unrest have persisted. Immergut’s repeated interventions highlight the judiciary’s role in mediating such disputes, while Trump’s administration faces ongoing challenges to its strategies in the city.