100 local governments and leaders urge court to block National Guard deployment in Portland

For immediate release: Oct. 6, 2025

Media contact: Jackie Jena, jackie@publicrightsproject.org

OAKLAND, CA — Public Rights Project joined 100 local governments, representing tens of millions of Americans to defend the city of Portland and the state of Oregon in their fight against the Trump administration’s attempts to illegally deploy the National Guard to the state. 

In the amicus brief filed in Oregon v. Trump on an emergency basis, the coalition says the lower court was correct to find no legal or factual reason to send the National Guard to Portland. It argues that the deployment of the federal military to Portland violates the Constitution and several federal laws, which gives local governments control over their own law enforcement. 

Even more alarming, the brief warns, is the precedent this could set: Allowing a president to deploy or federalize troops anywhere in the country, at any time, for any reason, simply because a city or state disagrees with the administration. Such unchecked power not only undermines state and local authority but also threatens the peace, safety, and economic stability of the very communities that the government is meant to protect.

“Turning the U.S. military against American communities is a gross abuse of power,” said Jill Habig, founder and CEO of Public Rights Project. “The federal government has no authority to police people for exercising their constitutional rights. What’s happening in Oregon marks a dangerous step toward authoritarian rule. Every city and town in this country deserves to be safe from political retaliation.”

The coalition’s brief outlines the significant risks of deploying the National Guard without a local government’s request:

• Local law enforcement is best positioned to ensure public safety: Military troops are not trained to manage protests or public gatherings the way local police are. Their presence can escalate tensions rather than calm them.
• Economic disruption: The presence of the National Guard can deter tourism, disrupt business activity, and destabilize local economies.
• Erosion of public trust: Residents report fear and anxiety when federal troops are deployed in their communities, undermining years of work by local governments to build trust with residents.

While there is no justification for the deployment of troops to Portland, the city has established law enforcement protocols in place. Public Rights Project and the coalition are urging the court to reject the federal government’s request to allow federal troops into Portland. 

The local government signatories are:

Alameda, Calif.

Albuquerque, N.M.

Alexandria, Va.

Allegheny County, Penn.

Anaheim, Calif.

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Baltimore, MD

Berkeley, Calif.

Boston, Mass.

Burlington, Vt.

Cambridge, Mass.

Chicago, Ill.

City and County of Denver, Colo.

City and County of San Francisco, Calif.

Dane County, Wis.

Evanston, Ill.

King County, Wash.

Long Beach, Calif.

Los Angeles, Calif.

Los Angeles County, Calif.

Madison, Wis.

Minneapolis, Minn.

Montgomery County, MD

Multnomah County, Ore.

Newark, NJ

New Haven, Conn.

New York, NY

Oakland, Calif.

Pima County, Ariz.

Pittsburgh, Penn.

Rochester, NY

Sacramento, Calif.

St. Paul, Minn.

San Diego, Calif.

San José, Calif.

Santa Clara, Calif.

San Mateo County, Calif.

Santa Monica, Calif.

Sonoma County, Calif.

West Hollywood, Calif.

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Public Rights Project
As a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, Public Rights Project helps local government officials fight for civil rights. We do this by building their capacity to protect and advance civil rights, convening and connecting them on issues of civil rights, and providing legal representation to governments to help them win in court on behalf of their residents. Since our founding, we’ve built a network of over 1,300 partners, including elected officials and 227 government offices across all 50 states, and helped recover over $46 million in relief for marginalized people. www.publicrightsproject.org