US President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered the military to be deployed to Portland, Oregon, to quell protests over his immigration policy, escalating his campaign against demonstrators opposing his policies.
“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,” Trump wrote on social media. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”
Deployments in Portland would mark the fourth US city where Trump has sent US National Guard troops for duty, assigning them to assist immigration officers, clean up streets and help fight local crime. National Guard troops have been deployed to Los Angeles, Washington and Memphis.
Photo: REUTERS
California Governor Gavin Newsom successfully challenged Trump’s deployment of troops in his state, but the White House is appealing the federal court ruling.
Trump did not specify whether he was referring to Guard troops or regular military. Governors control each state’s National Guard, although Trump was able to federalize Guard troops in the capital because it is a federal district.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek told a news conference that she was “abundantly clear” in conversations with Trump and Noem that the deployment was unnecessary.
“There is no insurrection. There is no threat to national security. There is no need or legal justification for military troops in our major city,” she said. “Our city is a far cry from the war-ravaged community that he has posted about on social media and I conveyed that directly to him.”
“Let’s not take the bait,” she told residents, adding that property damage or violence in response to the deployments “will not be tolerated.”
The Pentagon said it is poised to back the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and would provide updates when available.
“We stand ready to mobilize US military personnel in support of DHS operations in Portland at the President’s direction,” department spokesman Sean Parnell said.
Oregon officials said Trump’s actions would only inflame the situation.
“Our nation has a long memory for acts of oppression, and the president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said in a statement.
US Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, urged residents in a social media post “to reject Trump’s attempt to incite violence.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Protests outside Portland’s federal immigration detention facility have been going on since June, around the same time protests started in Los Angeles. Oregon is a “sanctuary state,” meaning that no state or local law enforcement are allowed to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Trump has threatened to cut federal funding to such states, although a federal judge blocked the administration from doing so. Amid escalating tensions, Oregon lawmakers have criticized what they describe as mistreatment of detainees, while the city has challenged the facility with a land-use violation. DHS deployed federal agents to Portland in response.
The protests have at times turned violent. Federal officials have condemned the actions, while protest groups continue to call for more demonstrations, including solidarity rallies in nearby cities.
On Monday last week, the Trump administration designated “Antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization, although the order holds no force of law because terrorist designations apply only to foreign-based actors, while Antifa is not an organization.
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