Trump authorises ‘full force’ troop deployment in Portland
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A protester walking amid tear gas and red smoke during a protest against the immigration policies of the Trump administration, outside an ICE detention facility in Portland, Oregon, on Sept 1.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Trump authorised troops in Portland, Oregon, citing ICE facility protection from "Antifa" and "domestic terrorists," mirroring prior deployments in other Democratic-led cities.
- Oregon's Governor Kotek denies a national security threat and Senator Wyden condemns Trump's move as an "authoritarian takeover", fearing incited violence.
- The decision follows a Texas ICE facility shooting, Kirk's death, and Trump's "domestic terrorist" label for "Antifa", raising concerns about suppressing dissent.
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WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Sept 27 authorised the deployment of troops in the north-western US city of Portland, extending his contentious domestic use of the military to support his mass immigration crackdown.
A deployment in Portland – the largest city in Oregon – would follow similar moves by the Republican President to mobilise troops against the wishes of local Democratic leadership in Los Angeles and in Washington.
It also comes as Mr Trump launches an assault against left-wing activists in the wake of several deadly attacks, which the President and his allies claim are evidence of a “domestic terrorist” network.
“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,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is the main agency carrying out Mr Trump’s contentious mass deportation drive.
It was not clear if Mr Trump was authorising the use of troops at ICE facilities nationwide or just in Portland, where protests have been ongoing for months.
The President added that he was “also authorising full force, if necessary”, without elaborating.
Protesters in Portland and other cities have intermittently blocked entrances to ICE facilities, prompting some clashes as agents try to clear the area.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department stood “ready to mobilise US military personnel” to support ICE, without further details.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said on Sept 27 that she spoke with Mr Trump, who “did not give me any details or specify any time” about the deployment of the troops.
“There is no insurrection, there is no threat to national security, and there is no need for military troops in our own major city,” she told reporters.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called the deployment “unwanted, unneeded and un-American”.
“The number of necessary troops is zero in Portland and any other American city,” he added.
‘Terrorist’ threat
Officials in Portland are wary of a repeat of the summer of 2020, during Mr Trump’s first term, when the city saw a surge of violent clashes with the authorities amid racial justice protests following the police killing of Mr George Floyd.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden called Mr Trump’s move on Sept 27 an “authoritarian takeover of Portland hoping to provoke conflict”.
“I urge Oregonians to reject Trump’s attempt to incite violence,” the Democrat posted on social media platform X.
Mr Trump first deployed troops in Los Angeles
That was followed by a surge of troops and federal agents to the US capital and threats to go into other major cities, including Chicago.
Mr Trump’s Sept 27 announcement comes days after a deadly shooting at an ICE facility
Federal officials say the gunman, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot, had sought to target ICE agents from a nearby rooftop.
That shooting happened weeks after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
Following Mr Kirk’s death, Mr Trump announced that he was labelling the diffuse left-wing “Antifa” movement as a “domestic terrorist group”.
The designation has led to worries among Mr Trump’s critics that it could be used to broadly suppress dissent in the name of national security.
On Sept 25, Mr Trump signed an order directing the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate and disrupt “organised political violence,” while telling reporters that billionaire George Soros – a frequent target of right-wing conspiracies – would be an example of someone who should be probed.
Attorney-General Pam Bondi has meanwhile ordered federal Justice Department agents to ICE facilities around the country.
“If you so much as touch one of our federal officers, you will go to prison,” she said on Sept 27 on X. AFP
People protesting outside an ICE detention facility in Portland, Oregon, on Sept 1.
PHOTO: REUTERS
