Donald Trump has ordered troops to Portland, Oregon, and authorised the use of full force if required to stop protests targeting immigration detention centres.
The president said the move would protect immigration facilities from what he described as attacks by Antifa and other domestic terrorists. He portrayed the city as war-ravaged in a post on Truth Social.
This order expands military deployments in US cities during his wider crackdown on illegal immigration.
pushback from democratic leaders
Democratic lawmakers strongly criticised the decision. They argued there was no need for federal troops in Portland.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said the state faced no national security threat. She called communities safe and calm.
At a Saturday news conference, Kotek declared any troop deployment would be an abuse of power. She confirmed she was working with Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield to decide whether legal action was needed.
She promised the state would be ready to respond if necessary.
unclear scope of presidential order
Trump’s post did not clarify whether he planned to activate the National Guard or regular military forces. He also failed to explain what the use of full force would entail.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the military stood ready to support the Department of Homeland Security in Portland. He confirmed updates would follow as more details emerged.
protests and federal charges
Since early June, protesters have repeatedly targeted Portland’s immigration facility, sometimes leading to violent clashes.
By 8 September, federal prosecutors had filed charges against 26 people for offences including arson, assaulting officers and resisting arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security accused demonstrators of laying siege to the Portland processing centre. Officials reported several arrests and federal charges against individuals involved.
Authorities also claimed Rose City Antifa illegally published ICE officers’ home addresses online and on flyers. They said affiliated activists sent death threats to department staff.
antifa labelled terrorist organisation
Earlier this week, Trump signed an order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organisation. The movement is loosely organised and mostly linked to far-left activists.
Legal experts, however, said no US law allows the government to formally classify groups as domestic terrorist organisations. They warned such efforts would likely face First Amendment challenges because of free speech protections.
echoes of 2020 deployments
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden warned federal agents might be repeating tactics from 2020. Back then, federal forces were deployed after the murder of George Floyd.
Wyden urged Oregonians not to react violently to Trump’s actions. He called the move a deliberate attempt to provoke unrest.
Other Democratic lawmakers accused ICE of arresting people who posed no real threat.
Representative Suzanne Bonamici said ICE promised to target criminals but instead detained individuals without convictions. She cited cases including the arrest of a father outside his child’s preschool and a firefighter taken while battling wildfires.
The Cato Institute reported that 65% of ICE detainees had no criminal record.
republican support emerges
Despite Democratic criticism, some Republicans welcomed Trump’s decision.
Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer described Portland as a crime-ridden warzone. She thanked Trump for acting to protect immigration facilities and for advancing his political slogan.
Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican representative from Oregon, argued the city had suffered under lawlessness.
past deployments raise legal questions
Trump previously sent the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington DC. Federal agents are also expected to arrive in Memphis, Tennessee, next week.
In Los Angeles, the president ordered 2,000 federal agents to respond to unrest after raids on undocumented migrants. Several days of clashes followed, with authorities using tear gas to disperse crowds.
A federal judge ruled earlier this month that the Los Angeles deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act. That law limits the federal government’s power to use the military inside the country.
It remains uncertain whether Trump has the legal authority to send federal forces to Oregon.
