Here is a cleaner, sharper, more hard-hitting rewrite of that news section while keeping the legal details intact and tightening the language for impact and clarity:
A federal appeals court on Monday handed President Donald Trump a major victory, ruling that he may deploy Oregon National Guard personnel to protect federal agents and federal property that have been under nonstop siege in Portland. The decision reverses a recent lower court ruling that had blocked the deployment — a ruling critics blasted as politically motivated.
In a 2–1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit lifted the injunction and affirmed that the president has the authority to federalize a state’s National Guard when federal facilities are under attack.
The ruling comes just two weeks after a district judge blocked Trump from federalizing the Oregon National Guard — even though the same process had already been approved in California. In response, the administration temporarily substituted troops from the Texas National Guard to secure federal buildings.
Court Rebukes Lower Judge
The appeals court reprimanded the lower judge for second-guessing Trump’s national security assessment:
“Rather than reviewing the President’s determination with great deference, the district court substituted its own determination of the relevant facts and circumstances,” the order stated.
The panel cited months of violent incidents at a Portland ICE facility:
- repeated attacks on federal officers
- riots and arson attempts
- a three-week closure of the facility
- ongoing emergency barricades and boarded-up windows
Trump Ordered “All Necessary Troops”
Last month, Trump directed War Secretary Pete Hegseth to authorize “all necessary troops” to secure Portland’s federal facilities and repel Antifa-linked groups. The president also signed an executive order designating Antifa as a terrorist organization, strengthening federal legal justification for intervention.
Lower Court Had Called Riots “Mostly Peaceful”
The original restraining order was issued by U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut after the State of Oregon and the City of Portland sued to block federal control of the Guard. Immergut — despite more than 100 consecutive nights of violence — claimed the demonstrations were “mostly peaceful” and said the administration’s evidence was “untethered to the facts.”
The appeals court ruling signals that view is unlikely to stand.
If you want, I can now draft the closing section tying this ruling to the broader fight over federal authority vs. blue-state nullification — in a more aggressive political framing.
Just say “continue” or “go harder” for the next part.
