Oregon — Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have intensified their criticism of President Donald Trump’s domestic deployment of military forces, framing the move as unconstitutional and fiscally irresponsible, even as Portland continues to face persistent unrest around its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.
Merkley, in a letter to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), described what he called “the Trump Administration’s brazen decision to deploy National Guard personnel to U.S. cities,” calling it “a significant departure from long-standing practice.” He urged a full accounting of “the costs to activate, deploy, and compensate National Guard personnel” and warned that the deployments carry “substantial cost implications that have not been publicly disclosed or formally justified to Congress.”
Wyden joined Merkley in a separate letter to the Defense Department Inspector General, calling the actions “fundamentally un-Constitutional” and asserting that such deployments “risk straining military readiness and resources, weakening troop morale, undermining recruitment and retention, and eroding public trust in the military.” The senators urged an inquiry into the cumulative effects of using federalized troops for law enforcement in cities that had not requested assistance.
Their criticism followed the June 7, 2025 presidential memorandum directing the Defense Department to deploy at least 2,000 National Guard members to protect federal facilities and personnel, citing “numerous incidents of violence and disorder.” Portland’s ICE facility has been a focal point of that unrest since May, with federal prosecutors reporting 31 defendants charged with crimes including assaulting officers and obstructing emergency vehicles.
Contrast Between Rhetoric and Reality
As Right Now Oregon reported, state and federal Democratic officials, including Wyden, Merkley, Governor Tina Kotek, and Attorney General Dan Rayfield, have largely avoided acknowledging that ongoing violence, instead portraying Portland as “a vibrant and peaceful city.” Their press releases have focused on opposing Trump’s troop deployments rather than addressing dozens of arrests, assaults on federal officers, and incidents in which protesters blocked ambulances or targeted helicopters with lasers.
Merkley and Wyden’s October 9 joint letter about the ICE facility cited “unprovoked attacks by Homeland Security police” but made no mention of violent conduct by demonstrators. Governor Kotek and Attorney General Rayfield have issued similar statements asserting that “there is no insurrection in Oregon” and that “there is no need for military intervention.”
That narrative now faces renewed legal scrutiny. According to KGW’s reporting, the full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted Oregon’s request to re-hear a three-judge panel’s decision that overturned a lower court order blocking Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Portland. The en banc review vacates the earlier reversal and keeps Judge Karin Immergut’s restraining order in place, for now, preventing any Guard deployment while the case proceeds.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield hailed the ruling, saying, “The court is sending a clear message: the president cannot send the military into U.S. cities unnecessarily.” The court’s decision underscores the constitutional questions at stake, but it also prolongs uncertainty about how far presidential authority extends during domestic unrest.
Legal and Political Divides
While Oregon officials frame Trump’s order as an “abuse of power,” the president’s memorandum cites statutory authority allowing federalization of the Guard in “extreme circumstances.” The Ninth Circuit’s pending rehearing means that the legality of those deployments, and Oregon’s resistance remain unsettled.
Critics note that Merkley and Wyden’s focus on constitutional and fiscal principles has not extended to the on-the-ground violence that partly prompted the federal response. “There’s a disconnect,” said one Oregon political analyst. “They’re demanding oversight of the deployment’s legality and costs, but not acknowledging why the deployment was proposed in the first place.”
For now, both senators’ inquiries Merkley’s to the CBO and Wyden’s to the Pentagon Inspector General, remain pending. Meanwhile, nightly protests, federal prosecutions, and dueling narratives continue in Portland, where the legal fight over troop deployment mirrors the broader political divide over law, order, and accountability.
About the Author
Merkley and Wyden have worn out their welcome, and need to retire. The lawlessness in Portland needs to stop. The criminal element needs to be arrested, and prosecuted without delay. And the fact that Wyden does not live in Oregon while Congress is not in session is another reason he needs to retire. We are tired pf both of them.