Justice Department Admits Error in Portland Deployment | JQJO

With the Ninth Circuit weighing an en banc rehearing on whether President Donald Trump can federalize the Oregon National Guard, the Justice Department acknowledged it overstated federal manpower in Portland. In a letter, attorney Andrew M. Bernie said an affidavit citing 115 Federal Protective Service officers was wrong; the actual surge was 86, including 65 security inspectors. The admission undercuts a central claim that FPS was near collapse, a point flagged by Oregon and questioned by Judge Susan Graber. A restraining order still blocks any Guard deployment as the court’s prior stay remains temporarily suspended.