Is Oregon Seceding From The Union?

The rule of law depends on all parties agreeing to abide by certain conventions and to play by the rules. When individuals stop doing so, we have crime. When they start doing so in large numbers, we have anarchy. When they start doing so at the state and national level, we have civil war.

We went through a civil war once, when entire states decided they no longer would abide by the edicts of the lawful federal government. South Carolina took the critical step when it declared it would go its own way and ordered Washington to withdraw its troops from Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor.

Oregon may be edging its way toward a similar step.

The ICE facility in Portland has been under siege for months. There are nightly attacks by organized Antifa units. Every glass surface in the facility has long since been boarded up. Sizeable units of federal law enforcement fight what amount to pitched battles with Antifa forces daily. President Trump has sent additional ICE agents to Portland and is now sending federalized elements of the Oregon National Guard.

The State of Oregon and the City of Portland refuse to step in and disperse the Antifa forces. To the contrary, they regularly express solidarity with the insurrectionists and call for federal authorities to leave. According to them, it is the feds who are the problem, and if they left everything would be fine.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said recently in Portland, “I will not be approving utilization of the Oregon National Guard. The President does not have the authority to deploy federal troops on State soil.” This is the Governor of a state telling the President that she does not recognize his authority and plans to directly oppose his lawful, constitutional order.

In the 1860’s they called this the “nullification” doctrine. It held that the states had the authority to overrule the federal government. The disagreement about this was resolved in 1865 when Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Apparently, Governor Kotek didn’t get that memo.

Mayor Wilson of Portland has told federal forces to “take a hike” and get out of the city. The Mayor went further, saying of the National Guard, “We did not ask for them to come. They are here without precedent or purpose.”

The Mayor’s position should come as no surprise. He is on record as saying, “We will not engage with the federal immigration enforcement that goes on. That is our sanctuary city goals; that is what the governor’s goals are. So you can rest assured we won’t be engaging with or working with ICE in any circumstances.”

The Mayor does not side with the federal government and does not support the enforcement of federal law. He sides with those attacking the ICE facility.

Portland’s city council has been exploring ways to force the federal government to abandon the ICE facility for some time. They have held public hearings on the topic and have made no secret of the fact that they side with Antifa and oppose the federal government.

Kristina Narayan is a senior advisor to Oregon Governor Kotek. In 2020, Narayan was arrested at an Antifa riot outside a Portland police station. At the time, Narayan was Kotek’s legislative director when Kotek was the Oregon House speaker. She was among nearly 60 people arrested during violent clashes involving firebombs, mortars, and assaults on police officers. Narayan was charged with interfering with a peace officer but was released without bail and subsequently had the charges against her dropped.

Governor Kotek publicly defended Narayan. Narayan stepped down from her formal position working for Kotek after the arrest, but was then rehired and promoted as soon as Kotek won her race for Governor.

Oregon officials are not limiting their opposition to the federal government to commentary. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced Sunday that the state, along with the City of Portland, has filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump and several administration officials, challenging the legality of Trump’s decision to federalize 200 National Guard members for deployment in Oregon.

“MEMORANDUM FOR THE ADJUTANT GENERAL, OREGON NATIONAL GUARD THROUGH: THE GOVERNOR OF OREGON SUBJECT: Calling Members of the Oregon National Guard into Federal Service On June 7, 2025, the President of the United States called forth at least 2,000 National Guard personnel into Federal service pursuant to section 12406 of title 10, U.S. Code, to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other U.S. Government personnel who are performing Federal functions, including the enforcement of Federal law, and to protect Federal property, at locations where protests against these functions are occurring or are likely to occur based on current threat assessments and planned operations. The President signed a copy of the attached memorandum to effectuate the calling forth of these Service members. This memorandum further implements the President’s direction. 200 members of the Oregon National Guard will be called into Federal service effective immediately for a period of 60 days. The Chief of the National Guard Bureau will immediately coordinate the details of the mobilization with you, in coordination with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Commander, U.S. Northern Command. The mobilized Service members will be under the command and control of the Commander, U.S. Northern Command.”

Order for Deployment of National Guard to Portland

It is one thing for groups of armed revolutionaries to attack federal facilities. While it threatens public order, it does not immediately undermine the existing federal structure and the rule of law. It is quite another thing for state and local officials to directly challenge the authority of the federal government and to begin to speak in terms of disobeying lawful Presidential orders and driving federal forces from a city.

In 1861, we were reluctantly forced to admit that South Carolina was seceding from the Union. It may be approaching the time when we need to consider whether Oregon is now doing the same.