Federal Judge Karin J Immergut, appointed by President Donald Trump, has twice ruled against the administration in recent days, blocking efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Oregon.
Late on Sunday, Immergut issued a temporary restraining order halting Trump’s plan to send California National Guard units to Portland, marking the second time in two days she sided against the President.
On Saturday, Immergut also blocked Trump from federalizing the Oregon National Guard, warning that the administration’s arguments “risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power — to the detriment of this nation.”
🚨 BREAKING: Trump-appointed US Federal Judge Karin Immergut just blocked Trump for a SECOND TIME from sending troops to Portland. pic.twitter.com/BuKpM8s0ow
— Maine (@TheMaineWonk) October 6, 2025
Trump Lashes Out at His Own Appointee
President Trump expressed frustration at the ruling, saying: “I wasn’t served well by the people that pick judges. I appointed the judge, and he goes like that… That judge, he ought to be ashamed of himself.”
Trump repeatedly referred to Immergut as a man during his remarks.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also criticized the ruling on X (formerly Twitter), calling it a “legal insurrection.”
Who Is Judge Karin J Immergut?
Karin Immergut, 64, has decades of legal experience in Oregon. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she attended Amherst College and earned her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1987.
She began her career at Covington & Burling in Washington, DC, before serving as an assistant U.S. attorney in California (1988–1992).
Much of her professional life has been in Oregon. She served as assistant U.S. attorney (2001–2003), then as U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon (nominated by President George W. Bush) until 2009. From 2009 to 2019, she was a judge on the Multnomah County Circuit Court, handling felony cases, complex civil matters, and death penalty proceedings.
In her 2019 Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire, Immergut stated she had presided over roughly 250 trials and hundreds of civil motions, also noting her work on a drug diversion program. The Senate confirmed her federal judgeship in 2019 by voice vote.
Part of the Clinton Impeachment Investigation
Immergut briefly gained national attention in 1998, working as associate independent counsel for Kenneth Starr during the investigation that led to President Clinton’s impeachment. She personally interviewed Monica Lewinsky, defending her detailed questioning as necessary to assess perjury allegations.
Additional Roles and Recognition
In May 2024, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Immergut to a seven-year term on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), reviewing government requests for surveillance in national security cases. She is also listed to teach a Stanford Law School course in 2025 titled “The Role of the Special Counsel: From Watergate to Jack Smith.”
Judicial Pushback Against Federal Troop Deployments
Immergut’s rulings represent the latest judicial challenge to President Trump’s efforts to deploy federal forces to U.S. cities. Governors, including JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Oregon officials have called the deployments unconstitutional, setting the stage for an intensifying legal and political showdown.
