Trump orders troops to Portland to guard ICE facilities amid protests

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social Saturday that he is directing the Secretary of War to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect ICE facilities from what he described as an attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists. In a post that framed the city as 'war ravaged,' Trump said he would authorize 'full force, if necessary,' but did not provide details on the size or scope of the deployment. He wrote that he is 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.' The president did not elaborate beyond that statement.

Trump's order comes amid ongoing demonstrations at the ICE processing facility in Portland's South Portland area, where protests began in June in response to immigration policies. One June demonstration escalated into rioting, with police using tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters. The Oregonian reported additional demonstrations in July and again in early September, though there was no independent confirmation of how many troops would be deployed or when they would arrive. The White House did not immediately respond to a Daily Mail request for comment on the size or scope of any deployment, and officials have provided little information on timing.

Portland is the latest U.S. city to see federal involvement in domestic security actions under the Trump administration. Earlier in the summer, federal personnel were sent to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to quell protests linked to immigration policy and perceived crime fronts. In June, Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles to help local authorities manage demonstrations. In August, he federalized Washington, D.C.’s local police while activating the National Guard, claiming the capital had been overtaken by violent gangs, roving mobs, and other threats. Following those actions, Trump has publicly mused about sending troops to other cities, including New York City and Chicago.

In Memphis, Tennessee, where officials have warned of rising crime, Gov. Bill Lee confirmed Friday that federal agents are scheduled to arrive Monday. He said officers from 13 federal agencies would join roughly 150 National Guard troops and state police to support local law enforcement. The Memphis deployment underscores the broader pattern of federal involvement in domestic security issues that Trump has advanced in recent months, even as city authorities and residents grapple with their own urban challenges.

Portland has faced a series of intertwined social and policy challenges in recent years. The city has been home to large homeless encampments and open-air drug use in downtown areas, concerns that some critics tie to broader state policies. Oregon formerly decriminalized possession of heroin, fentanyl, and meth to the level of a traffic ticket, a policy intended to reduce penalties while directing resources to treatment. After opioid overdoses surged—rising from 280 in 2019 to 628 in the first half of 2023—the state reversed the decriminalization, with a new law taking effect on September 1, 2024. Critics have pointed to housing instability, crime, and the downtown exodus of businesses as factors in the city’s economic and social strain.

The political landscape in Multnomah County also informs the security dynamics. Mike Schmidt, elected as the county’s district attorney in May 2020, pursued a relatively lenient approach to rioting cases in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s death, saying prosecutions would emphasize evidence of deliberate property damage, theft, or the threat of force. Police data from that period showed hundreds of cases referred but a relatively small share going to trial, contributing to perceptions of law-and-order challenges in the city. Nathan Vasquez, the county’s current district attorney, has since emphasized a broader crime-reduction strategy aimed at revitalizing the city’s economy and enabling its broader recovery. These local development threads—policy shifts, enforcement approaches, and economic pressures—provide context for regional reactions as federal officials consider further deployments in major urban centers.