() Oregon state officials are going to court to challenge the Trump administration’s legal authority to deploy as many as 200 federalized National Guard members in Portland.

President Trump has characterized Portland as “war ravaged” and said troops would be empowered to use “full force,” without defining what that means, to deal with what he calls domestic terrorists. Elected leaders say demonstrations at a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility have been relatively peaceful in the Democratic-run city.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the law is clear that the president can’t send troops without certain conditions being met, such as an invasion or rebellion. Besides a lawsuit, he said the state will ask a judge to approve a temporary restraining order against the White House.

“We have a well-functioning Portland Police Department. We have the county sheriff’s department. We have our Oregon state police, and we have a district attorney that are functional and working well in Oregon,” Rayfield told “ Prime” on Sunday. “There is absolutely no need for the U.S. military to be used against its citizens and to occupy portions of our city.”

In Portland, tense encounters between feds, protesters

correspondent Jorge Ventura, reporting from the ICE facility in Portland, said protests have been relatively peaceful over the weekend. But he witnessed a confrontation between crowds and agents from Border Patrol and Homeland Security who cleared the way for an official vehicle. During the tense moment, authorities fired pepper balls.

Rayfield said demonstrators who do not protest peacefully will be held accountable by local authorities.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday ordered 200 Oregon National Guard troops to be deployed under federal authority.

Rather than sending the military, Rayfield said, the Trump administration should discuss the possibility of sending federal law-enforcement resources if the president thinks crime is a problem in Portland.  

Violent crime in Portland has dropped in the first six months of 2025, according to preliminary data released by the Major Cities Chiefs Association in its Midyear Violent Crime Report. Homicides fell by 51% compared to the same period a year earlier, according to these statistics.