A federal judge has stepped down from overseeing Oregon’s lawsuit against the Trump Administration regarding the deployment of National Guard troops in Portland. The move came after a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ), citing concerns over impartiality due to the judge’s family ties.
US District Judge Michael Simon, who was appointed by President Obama, recused himself because his wife, Representative Suzanne Bonamici, has publicly opposed sending troops to Portland. According to court documents and DOJ arguments, Rep. Bonamici’s statements raised questions about potential conflicts of interest in the case.
The case will now be handled by Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee. A hearing on Oregon’s request for a Temporary Restraining Order is scheduled for Friday at 10 am PST.
Last weekend, President Trump authorized military deployments to Portland and other cities led by Democrats with the stated goal of protecting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents amid ongoing protests and unrest. In an official statement, Trump said: “At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Following this announcement, Oregon filed suit against the administration seeking to block troop deployments. Governor Tina Kotek criticized Trump’s decision as an “abuse of power” and described it as a “misuse of federal troops” during a press conference in downtown Portland.
Judge Simon announced Thursday that he had recused himself from the case following DOJ arguments referencing public comments made by his spouse. The matter was then randomly reassigned to Judge Immergut.
