U.S. District Judge Michael Simon has recused himself from a lawsuit over President Donald Trump's policy of sending the National Guard to Oregon, the Washington Examiner reported. The Obama-nominated judge was randomly assigned to the case and is married to Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), who publicly opposed the policy.
Trump has been sending troops to beleaguered cities where local law enforcement is either unable or unwilling to maintain law and order. Because Democrats have painted themselves into a corner when it comes to this issue, Bonamici dutifully opposed the idea and said the president should "rescind" that order.
This forced the Department of Justice to have the case reassigned as Simon recused himself. "JUST IN: DOJ suggests Judge Simon recuse from the Oregon National Guard case because he's married to @RepBonamici, who has vocally opposed the deployment," Politico reporter Kyle Cheney posted to X, formerly Twitter, along with an image of the legal document.
JUST IN: DOJ suggests Judge Simon recuse from the Oregon National Guard case because he's married to @RepBonamici, who has vocally opposed the deployment. https://t.co/BfrUkAng8t pic.twitter.com/hR50pPw8rA
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) October 2, 2025
One of the many pitfalls of Democratic rule in a given city is that it turns the community into a nightmare for the people who live there. Lately, the violence and chaos are being directed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, and Trump is attempting to turn the tide on that with the National Guard.
As Fox News reported, Trump did the same in Portland, Oregon to secure the ICE facility. "At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary."
With that aim, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Sept. 28 noting that "200 members of the Oregon National Guard will be called into Federal service effective immediately for a period of 60 days." Just the day before, Bonamici made her position known on the Bluesky social media platform.
She said Trump was "lying" after she conducted her own visit to the facility and was unfazed by what she saw. "I was at the ICE facility two days ago and saw a few peaceful protesters, not a 'siege,'" the lawmaker claimed.
Bonamici went on to sign a letter in protest addressed to Trump, Hegseth, and Noem. "This unilateral action represents an abuse of executive authority, seeks to incite violence, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and states. We urge you to rescind this decision, and withdraw any military personnel and federal agents you have recently sought to deploy."
According to the Oregon Department of Justice, the state's Attorney General Dan Rayfield and the City of Portland filed a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration on Sept. 29. The intent was to prevent Hegseth from deploying the National Guard to restore order in the city as outlined in his memo.
“The facts are egregious. The President’s response to federalize 200 National Guard members for 60 days is not about keeping people safe – it’s about chasing headlines at the expense of our community," Rayfield said.
The lawsuit stated that doing so would violate the Constitution and "multiple federal laws," arguing that the president could only do so "in cases of invasion, rebellion, or when federal laws cannot otherwise be executed. None of those conditions exist in Oregon," the lawsuit said.
“Putting our own military on our streets is an abuse of power and a disservice to our communities and our service members. The Guard is made up of our neighbors and friends, not political props. Oregon is our home — not a military target," Rayfield said. Unfortunately, violent protests are par for the course in Portland, as some fear a particular escalation at ICE facility demonstrations.
Portland's resistance to help from the National Guard continues to perpetuate the same poor decisions that have turned the city into a war zone, even as Bonamici insists that all is well there. At least Judge Simon has acknowledged his conflict of interest because of her remarks, but it may be difficult to find another judge who isn't biased in favor of anarchy in that area.
