Portland awaits troops as legal fight and high costs continue

(OCTOBER 3, 2025) A federal court battle is happening in Portland over President Trump’s decision to send the Oregon National Guard to the city. Meanwhile, the cost of the deployment is estimated to be very high, and local officials are saying the troops are not needed.

New Judge Takes Over in Legal Case

On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon agreed to step down from the lawsuit. Federal lawyers asked him to recuse himself (step aside) to ensure fairness, because his wife, U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici, is strongly against the deployment.

Rep. Bonamici had publicly said the president's action was “a gross abuse of power” and that the city did not need military troops.

Judge Simon said that while he did not believe the law required him to step down, he did so to allow the case to focus on the important legal issues.

The case has been given to a new judge, U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut.

On Friday morning, the State of Oregon and the City of Portland will ask Judge Immergut to issue a temporary restraining order. This is a fast court order that would block the troops from arriving in Portland while the lawsuit continues.

Deployment Cost and Local Disagreement

President Trump has ordered 200 members of the Oregon National Guard into federal service for 60 days to protect federal property, such as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

The mission is expected to cost federal taxpayers at least $3.8 million just for the soldiers' salaries. However, Governor Tina Kotek’s office estimates the total cost, including meals and lodging, could reach $10 million.

Governor Kotek criticized the expense, saying it is "Wasting an estimated $10 million on made-up problems" and called the action "an abuse of power.”

The Pentagon stated that the final costs will not be known until the mission is finished.

Troops Are Under Federal Command

When the National Guard members are federalized under a law called Title 10, they will be under the command of the U.S. Army, not Governor Kotek or the Oregon Military Department.

Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, director of the Oregon Military Department, explained that once mobilized under Title 10, the soldiers answer to U.S. Northern Command. He reminded the Guard members that they must follow lawful orders, even if they have "strong feelings about this mission."

The troops chosen for the deployment come from military police and infantry companies in Salem and Woodburn. Their mission, as officials understand it, is to protect federal facilities from vandalism and break-ins, not to enforce traffic laws or regular policing.

Local Officials Say Troops Are Not Needed

The state and city governments argue that the deployment is unnecessary and could worsen tensions.

President Trump has frequently used strong descriptions for Portland, calling it a "nightmarish hellscape” and a "war zone," suggesting it is full of "Chaos, Death, and Destruction.”

Local officials disagree with the president’s descriptions. Governor Kotek said the protests outside the ICE facility are small and persistent, not the massive riots from years ago. Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the recent events “do not rise to the level of attention that they are receiving” and are generally contained to "one city block.”

Police Chief Day confirmed that local officers will continue to monitor the demonstrations, even though the City Council had previously told the Police Bureau to limit overtime spending on protests. Records show the Portland Police spent over $875,000 on staffing related to the ICE protests over just two weeks in June.

Deployment Timeline

Federal officials confirmed that the 200 National Guard members are “reporting for duty” and beginning training. They will spend between four and seven days in processing and training before they could be deployed to Portland.

The final arrival of the troops may depend entirely on what the federal judge decides at Friday’s court hearing. Legal experts say the state and city must prove that sending the military to Portland will cause serious, lasting harm.