By Kristina Cooke, Phil Stewart, and David Ljunggren
(Muara Digital Team) – U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he has ordered the U.S. military to move to Portland, Oregon, and to safeguard federal immigration facilities from “domestic terrorists,” adding that he is permitting them to employ “full force, if required.”
Following the latest action against a city governed by Democrats, Trump stated in a social media post that he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “supply all required troops to safeguard war-torn Portland, as well as any of our ICE facilities facing attacks from Antifa and other domestic extremists.”
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, in response to Trump’s directive, stated: “The required number of troops is zero, both in Portland and any other U.S. city. The president will not encounter disorder or aggression here unless he intends to create it himself.”
Violent crime in Portland has decreased during the first half of 2025, according to data. Homicides have dropped by 51% when compared to the same time frame last year, as per the Major Cities Chiefs Association’s Midyear Violent Crime Report. The report indicated that Portland recorded 17 homicides during this period, while Louisville, Kentucky, had 56 and Memphis, Tennessee, had 124, all with similar population sizes.
At a press event on Saturday, Oregon’s Democratic Governor Tina Kotek dismissed the necessity of deploying troops and mentioned she had spoken with Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“There is no uprising, no danger to national security, and no requirement for military forces in our largest city,” Kotek stated.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democratic representative from Oregon, posted on X stating that Trump “might be following the 2020 strategy and heading to Portland with the intention of inciting unrest and aggression.”
In 2020, demonstrations broke out in downtown Portland, a liberal area in the Pacific Northwest, after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The protests lasted for several months, and some local officials at the time claimed they were intensified rather than stopped by Trump’s use of federal troops.
RISING TENSIONS IN LARGE URBAN AREAS
It remained uncertain if Trump’s statement about U.S. troops employing “full force” in Portland implied he was endorsing the use of lethal force, and if so, under what circumstances. U.S. military personnel are permitted to use force for self-defense during domestic deployments within the United States.
The Pentagon provided no explanation regarding whether Trump was utilizing the National Guard, regular military personnel, or a combination of both, similar to the situation in Los Angeles earlier this year.
“We are prepared to deploy U.S. military personnel to assist DHS activities in Portland, as directed by the President. The Department will share information and updates when they are available,” stated Sean Parnell, a spokesperson from the Pentagon.
When asked about the Portland ruling on Saturday, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that ICE officers required protection during demonstrations opposing immigration enforcement actions.
“We won’t tolerate it. This administration isn’t messing around,” she stated during an interview on Fox News.
Tensions have been increasing in major U.S. cities following Trump’s strict immigration enforcement measures, just days after a shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas resulted in one detainee’s death and two others being severely injured.
TRUMP’S ATTENTION TO CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, ‘ANTIFA’
On Thursday, Trump informed journalists that “unstable individuals” were attempting to set structures on fire in Portland. “They are trained troublemakers and anarchists,” he stated, without offering any proof.
Last week, Trump issued an executive order labeling the anti-fascist group antifa as a domestic “terrorist organization,” part of his effort to address what he says is left-wing backed political violence.
Under U.S. law enforcement records, there has never been a terrorist event in the United States linked to antifa. Trump initially attempted to classify the group as a domestic terror organization during the widespread George Floyd protests.
The most infamous incident linked to the movement took place in Portland in August 2020, when Michael Reinoehl, an individual who claimed to be part of antifa, fatally shot Aaron “Jay” Danielson, a member of the far-right group Patriot Prayer. Reinoehl was subsequently killed by federal and local law enforcement officers while they tried to apprehend him.
Trump has prioritized crime as a central issue in his administration, despite declining violent crime rates in numerous U.S. cities. His actions against Democratic-led cities such as Los Angeles and Washington have resulted in legal disputes and demonstrations.
The Trump administration aimed to deport a historic number of undocumented immigrants, focusing the effort on criminals, yet has detained numerous individuals without any criminal history. Residents in New York, Chicago, Washington, and other Democratic-leaning metropolitan areas have recently resisted this initiative.
On Friday, in the Chicago suburb of Broadview, ICE deployed tear gas, non-lethal projectiles, and pepper balls to manage demonstrations outside an immigration detention facility. Similar protests have taken place at other detention centers across the country, including in Portland.
(Produced by David Ljunggren, Kristina Cooke, Phil Stewart, and Doina Chiacu; Edited by Caitlin Webber, Sergio Non, Bill Berkrot, and Chizu Nomiyama)
