President Donald Trump on Saturday said he has ordered U.S. troops to Portland, Oregon, to safeguard federal immigration facilities and authorized the use of “full force, if necessary” to quell protests targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had directed “Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland” and to defend ICE sites he said were “under siege by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”
The White House did not clarify whether the deployment would involve active-duty military or National Guard personnel, nor what “full force” would entail. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Defense Department “stands ready to mobilize U.S. military personnel in support of DHS operations in Portland at the President’s direction,” promising further updates.
Oregon leaders condemned the move and questioned its legality. Governor Tina Kotek said there was “no national security threat in Portland,” calling any federal troop deployment “an abuse of power.” She said she is coordinating with Attorney General Dan Rayfield to weigh possible responses. Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Ron Wyden, warned against a repeat of the 2020 federal intervention in Portland that drew widespread criticism.
Federal officials say protests have periodically escalated into violence at Portland’s ICE processing center since early June. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said by September 8 it had filed federal charges against 26 people for offenses including arson and assaulting officers. DHS said demonstrators had “repeatedly attacked and laid siege” to the site and alleged that “Rose City Antifa” doxxed ICE personnel and issued threats.
Earlier this week, Trump signed an order designating “Antifa” a domestic terrorist organization—a label legal scholars say has no clear statutory mechanism and could face First Amendment challenges, given the movement’s loose structure and protections for speech and assembly.
Critics in Oregon argue ICE has detained people who pose no public safety risk, citing cases including a father taken outside a preschool and a wildland firefighter arrested while on duty. They also point to analyses indicating many ICE detainees lack criminal convictions. Supporters of the president’s move, including Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, praised the planned deployment as necessary to restore order and protect federal facilities.
The legal footing for sending federal forces to Oregon remains uncertain. A federal judge in California this month found Trump’s National Guard deployment to Los Angeles illegal under the Posse Comitatus Act; any Portland deployment is likely to face immediate court challenges.
