Governor Kotek Orders Demobilization Of National Guard Troops Following Federal Court Ruling – KXL

Portland, OR – Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has ordered the immediate demobilization of 200 Oregon National Guard members and the return of 200 California National Guard troops to their home state, following a federal court ruling that found President Trump’s deployment of National Guard forces unlawful.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Governor Kotek said the Oregon Guard members, currently stationed at Camp Rilea, will return home, while the California troops, staged at Camp Withycombe, will be sent back to California.

“Judge Karin J. Immergut’s orders are a clear and forceful rebuttal to President Trump’s misuse of states’ National Guard,” Kotek said. “Let’s remember that these Oregonians are our neighbors and friends, who have been unlawfully uprooted from their family and careers – they deserve better than this.”

The move follows back-to-back rulings by U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut. On October 4, the judge determined that the federal government lacks authority under 10 U.S.C. §12406 to federalize the Oregon National Guard, citing that none of the law’s conditions—such as invasion, rebellion, or obstruction of federal law—apply in Oregon.

A second order issued on October 5 reinforced that the President also does not have authority to deploy National Guard troops from other states into Oregon under the current circumstances.

The court’s decision marks a significant rebuke of the federal government’s actions and reinforces the state’s control over its National Guard forces in the absence of extraordinary conditions.