President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he plans to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, a city he portrayed as “war ravaged,” to safeguard Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, which he alleged are “under siege” by Antifa and “other domestic terrorists.”
“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to supply all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under threat from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” Trump stated in a social media post.
The White House did not offer additional details when contacted by CNN to clarify what the president implied by “full force” and which troops might be deployed to the city.
Trump’s announcement followed a shooting incident at an ICE facility in Dallas by a shooter whom investigators suspect aimed to target ICE personnel and property.
He killed one detainee and seriously injured two others.
An ICE facility about two miles (3.2 kilometres) south of downtown Portland has been at the centre of almost constant protests throughout the summer.
Most of the protests have remained peaceful, although some have led to the use of tear gas and led to the facility being temporarily shut down for several days over the summer.
Trump forecast action in Portland on Thursday, repeating the claim to reporters that protesters are being paid “a lot of money” to generate chaos.
“We’re going to get out there, and we’re gonna do a pretty big number on those people in Portland that are doing that. They’re professional agitators and anarchists,” Trump declared.
Trump earlier this month designated Antifa – the loose factions of black-clad leftists or anarchists who show up at protests opposing the police or government – as a “major terrorist organization.”
The White House has emphasised incidents in Portland, home to one of the oldest organizations in the country to carry the Antifa moniker, in its statements about the designation.
Department of Homeland Security law enforcement officials were deployed to downtown Portland in 2020, during Trump’s first term, due to protests after the murder of George Floyd.
“I’m going to look at it now, because I didn’t know that was still going on. This has been going on for years,” Trump said earlier this month.
