On Thursday, October 2, 2025, Reuters reported that U.S. District Judge Michael Simon of Oregon recused himself from a legal dispute concerning President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to Portland. The recusal follows concerns raised by the Trump administration regarding public statements made by Judge Simon’s wife, U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici, who has been critical of the troop deployment.
Judge Simon, appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, stated that his decision to step aside was to ensure the case remains focused on critical constitutional and statutory issues, preventing it from being overshadowed by questions of potential bias.
Bonamici, a Democrat representing a district that encompasses most of Portland, had previously condemned the troop deployment as a “gross abuse of power” during a press conference alongside Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, also a Democrat. She stated that the military’s presence was neither welcome nor needed.
The Department of Justice, under President Trump, filed a court document on Thursday requesting Judge Simon’s recusal, arguing that Bonamici’s comments could create the appearance of partiality. Bonamici has declined to comment on her husband’s decision to recuse himself from the case.
The legal challenge was initiated by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, a Democrat, on September 28, following President Trump’s announcement that he would deploy troops to Portland to safeguard federal immigration facilities from what he termed “domestic terrorists.” Oregon seeks a court declaration deeming the deployment illegal and an injunction to prevent its implementation. The state contends that President Trump is exaggerating the threat posed by protests against his immigration policies to unlawfully seize control of state National Guard units.
The case has been reassigned to U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee during his first term in office.
President Trump’s decisions to deploy military forces to cities led by Democrats, including Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., have also prompted legal action. The states of California and Washington, D.C., have filed lawsuits challenging these deployments.
A federal judge in California has already ruled that President Trump’s deployment of troops to Los Angeles was illegal and that their actions violated laws prohibiting the military from engaging in law enforcement. However, these rulings have been stayed by an appeals court.
Source: Reuters
