In an unusual development, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon, appointed by former President Barack Obama, has recused himself from Oregon’s legal challenge against the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard. The decision followed requests from the Department of Justice (DOJ), which cited concerns over Simon’s marriage to Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat who publicly opposed the military presence in Portland.
Simon’s recusal occurred just one day before a scheduled hearing on Oregon’s bid to block the deployment. In his statement, Simon acknowledged that while he did not believe recusal was legally required, he deemed it necessary to ensure the case focused solely on “critically important constitutional and statutory issues.” Bonamici, who represents a district encompassing Portland’s western suburbs, had previously criticized the federal action at a press conference alongside Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Mayor Keith Wilson. She condemned the deployment as “illegal, dangerous, and outrageous,” labeling Trump’s justification for sending 200 National Guard members to the city as baseless.
The case has now been reassigned to U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, a Trump appointee who will preside over the motion for a temporary restraining order. The DOJ’s recusal request highlighted Bonamici’s public opposition, including her claims that the deployment could violate legal standards and her social media criticism of the administration. Following the press conference, Trump and officials from the Department of Defense and Homeland Security informed Oregon of the federalization of National Guard troops, prompting the state to file a lawsuit challenging the move.
The outcome of Immergut’s ruling remains pending, with calls for swift action amid ongoing tensions over federal military presence in Portland.