In a stunning late-night rebuke that underscores the deepening chasm between executive authority and judicial overreach, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut—a Trump appointee, no less—issued a temporary restraining order on October 5, 2025, blocking President Donald Trump’s deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland. The ruling, which deems the move unlawful and unconstitutional, came in response to lawsuits from the state of Oregon and the city itself, arguing that Trump’s federalization of the Guard violates the Tenth Amendment and exceeds presidential powers under the Constitution’s militia clause. Citing a lack of evidence for the “rebellion” Trump invoked—despite ongoing protests outside an ICE facility that have included clashes with federal agents—the judge halted the troops’ mobilization until at least October 18, with the administration swiftly appealing to the Ninth Circuit. This isn’t just a procedural speed bump; it’s a direct assault on the president’s inherent duty to protect federal assets and restore order in a city Trump aptly described as “war-ravaged,” where local Democrats have dithered amid rising unrest.

We’ve long since crossed the Rubicon where activist judges like Immergut fancy themselves unelected commanders-in-chief, wielding gavels like scepters to micromanage national security from the bench. No random federal jurist—regardless of her ironic Trump-era appointment—holds the constitutional authority to dictate troop deployments, a prerogative explicitly vested in the executive branch under Article II. The Insurrection Act and Title 10 grant the president broad latitude to federalize the Guard in the face of domestic threats, yet here we have a single judge in Oregon presuming to override that based on cherry-picked facts about “small and sedate” protests, ignoring the broader pattern of violence that’s plagued Portland since 2020. This isn’t impartial justice; it’s ideological sabotage, dressed up in legalese, aimed at emasculating Trump’s mandate to enforce the law. The White House’s appeal is a start, but appeals are for the timid—true leadership demands bolder strokes.

It’s high time for President Trump to stare down these judicial interlopers and openly defy such rulings, deploying the Guard anyway to safeguard Portland’s federal installations and signal that the era of black-robed vetoes over military matters is over. She’s not the commander-in-chief; he is. Ignoring her edict wouldn’t just restore order—it would ignite the long-overdue showdown with an unelected judiciary that’s morphed into a parallel government, thwarting the will of voters at every turn. From border security to urban chaos, these activist judges have meddled enough; defiance now would reaffirm the separation of powers, forcing a constitutional reckoning where the executive branch reclaims its rightful dominance in matters of defense. The base would roar, the nation would stabilize, and the courts might finally remember their place: interpreters, not emperors. Deploy them, Mr. President—let the gavel clash against the chain of command.