Eniola Amadu
President Donald Trump has said he would deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, authorising the use of “full force, if necessary,” to protect federal facilities and counter what he described as threats from “domestic terrorists.”
The announcement, made on social media, directed the Department of Defence to provide “all necessary troops” to secure Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) buildings in the city.
Trump claimed the facilities were “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”
The White House did not immediately provide details regarding the scope of the deployment, a timeline, or which branches of the military would be involved.
Pentagon officials also did not respond to requests for comment.
Trump has previously threatened similar actions in other U.S. cities. He warned of sending the National Guard into Chicago, though no deployment occurred, and federal officials have said an operation in Memphis, Tennessee, will involve about 150 troops.
That is significantly fewer than the forces sent to Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles during earlier federal crackdowns.
The move comes amid heightened political tensions following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which Trump has cited in recent weeks as part of what he calls a rise in political violence by “the radical left.”
Over the summer, he ordered National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles and to the capital as part of a wider security response.
In Portland, the ICE facility has been a flashpoint for frequent protests. Authorities say some demonstrations have turned violent, with injuries to federal officers and protesters facing charges of assault.
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security described the appearance of a protester-erected guillotine outside the facility as “unhinged behavior.”
Trump suggested earlier this week that an operation was imminent.
“We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland,” he said at the White House, describing demonstrators as “professional agitators and anarchists.”
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson pushed back against Trump’s announcement, saying the city had not requested federal intervention.
“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for — and do not need — federal intervention,”
Wilson said, “we have protected freedom of expression while addressing occasional violence and property destruction.”
In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee confirmed Friday that the National Guard deployment in Memphis was coordinated with state officials and would add resources to fight crime in the city.
