ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ISSUES STATEMENT ON OREGON LAWSUIT OVER UNLAWFUL DEPLOYMENT OF NATIONAL GUARD

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ISSUES STATEMENT ON OREGON LAWSUIT OVER UNLAWFUL DEPLOYMENT OF NATIONAL GUARD

September 29, 2025

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement in support of Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield's lawsuit filed against the Trump administration in response to its unlawful takeover of the National Guard to deploy troops to Portland.

"I proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with my colleague Attorney General Dan Rayfield as he challenges Donald Trump's unlawful, un-American takeover of Oregon's National Guard. And I absolutely condemn the president's deployment of American servicemembers against their fellow Oregonians, in direct violation of the Constitution.

"It is unlawful for the president to deploy National Guard units without the consent of and over the opposition of state and local leadership. It is unlawful under the Posse Comitatus Act for National Guard units to perform routine law enforcement functions, such as searches, seizures and arrests, that our local law enforcement officers conduct in our communities each day. The men and women who selflessly volunteer to serve their country by joining the National Guard are not political pawns.

"From Customs and Border Patrol agents menacing passersby on Michigan Avenue, to the unlawful deployment of the National Guard in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and now Portland, the Trump administration never intended to make our cities safer. Instead, we are seeing a very intentional escalation - both in rhetoric and in actions - by the president to sow chaos, instill fear and exert dominance over Americans exercising their First Amendment rights to hold their government accountable. This recklessness compromises the safety of the very communities the president purports to protect.

"I am firmly committed to standing with Attorney General Rayfield and my colleagues to challenge this administration's actions that violate the sovereignty of our cities and states."