President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his administration’s plans to deploy federal troops in Portland, Oregon, calling the city “War ravaged.” Portland would become the third U.S. city to see a federal troop deployment, following similar moves in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., over the summer.
‘Protecting war ravaged Portland’
In a Saturday post to Truth Social, Trump said the directive is meant to bolster protections for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which the president claimed is “under siege.”
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“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,” Trump wrote. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump’s singling out of antifa follows an executive order signed Monday, that designates the group as a “domestic terrorist organization.” Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is not an official organization with a leadership structure or members. Rather, it is a loosely defined label that some people appropriate in the name of political activism.
A 2020 government report noted that while some self-described antifa activists are willing to engage in violent clashes with law enforcement and far-right groups, “much antifa activity involves nonviolent protest such as hanging posters, delivering speeches, and marching,”
In a statement shared with Straight Arrow News Saturday, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said, “President Trump has directed ‘all necessary Troops’ to Portland, Oregon. The number of necessary troops is zero, in Portland and any other American city.”
Wilson said that the U.S. has a “long memory for acts of oppression, and the president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it,” adding, “Imagine if the federal government sent hundreds of engineers, or teachers, or outreach workers to Portland, instead of a short, expensive, and fruitless show of force.”
Peaceful, vibrant city or crime-ridden war zone?
On Friday, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., responded to the news of a federal deployment. “There are credible reports that federal agents may be replaying the 2020 playbook and surging into Portland with the goal of provoking conflict and violence in my hometown,” Wyden wrote on X. “I am in close contact with state and local officials to monitor this activity.”
Wyden went on to say, “Portland is a peaceful, vibrant city with no need for federal agents on our streets. I urge Oregonians not to fall into Trump’s attempt to incite violence. Just as I did in 2020, I will lead our delegation and state officials to oppose any unjustified increase in federal forces.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s secretary of labor and sole Cabinet member from Oregon, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, applauded the move Saturday. “I’ve seen firsthand how lawlessness has transformed Portland from a beautiful place to live to a crime-ridden war zone,” Chavez-DeRemer wrote on X. “Thank you, @POTUS, for taking action to keep our ICE facilities protected and Make America Safe Again!”
During an August Cabinet meeting, Chavez-DeRemer advocated for a federal troop deployment in Portland, telling Trump, “Thank you for what you’re doing with your agents on ICE … I hope you will come to Portland, Oregon, and crack down.”
Threats of troop deployment vs. action
ICE has claimed that attacks on its officers have increased by more than 1,000%. The agency declined to comment on the statistic when Straight Arrow News reached out for clarity and additional information.
When announcing potential federal agent surges, Trump often characterizes Democrat-led cities as overrun by violent criminals, despite declining crime rates nationwide since spikes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Portland is no different.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, violent crime in the city fell by 17% during the first six months of 2025 compared with 2024. Homicides also decreased from 35 to 17 in the same period, marking a 51% drop.
Trump has similarly threatened troop deployments in Memphis, Chicago and others. While some cities have seen more frequent ICE raids, they have not seen federal troops patrolling the streets, as was the case in LA and D.C.
