(BBC News) President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of US troops to Portland, Oregon, authorizing use of “full force” if needed, to suppress protests targeting immigration detention centres.
Trump said he was “directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland.”
He claimed that the move would help protect “any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” adding on Truth Social: “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”
The announcement drew pushback from Democratic lawmakers, who said there was no need for federal troops to be deployed to the city.
“There is no national security threat in Portland. Our communities are safe and calm,” said Oregon Governor Tina Kotek.
At a news conference on Saturday, Kotek said that “any deployment would be an abuse of power,” and that she was co-ordinating with Oregon attorney general Dan Rayfield, “to see if any response is necessary.”
“We will be prepared to respond if we have to,” Kotek added.
Saturday’s announcement marks the further expansion of deployment of troops in American cities, amid a wider crackdown by the Trump administration on illegal immigration.
Trump’s post does not specify whether he intends to activate national guard or regular US military. The post also did not specify what is meant by the use of “full force”.
“We stand ready to mobilize U.S. military personnel in support of DHS operations in Portland at the president’s direction,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told the BBC. “The Department will provide information and updates as they become available.”
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland has been targeted by protesters since early June, sometimes leading to violent clashes.
As of September 8, the US Attorney’s Office had brought federal charges against 26 people for crimes including arson, assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest.
