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U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday he is directing the Pentagon to send troops to Portland, Oregon, authorizing what he termed "Full Force, if necessary" to combat what he described as "domestic terrorists" targeting federal immigration facilities.
The president made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, stating he was acting at the request of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to protect "War ravaged Portland" and Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities "under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists."
The directive represents an expansion of Trump's controversial use of military forces in American cities, following previous deployments to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The announcement raises immediate questions about legal authority, as the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act generally prohibits using federal troops for domestic law enforcement.
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Neither the White House nor the Defense Department immediately responded to requests for comment about the scope, timeline, or specific units involved in the Portland deployment. Trump's announcement also did not clarify what legal framework would authorize military "full force" in an American city.
The move comes amid heightened tensions following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, after which Trump has intensified his campaign against what he calls the "radical left." Since Kirk's killing, the president has escalated military deployments as part of his broader law enforcement strategy.
Portland's ICE facility has been a focal point for ongoing demonstrations, some turning violent with federal agents sustaining injuries and protesters facing assault charges. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security condemned protesters who erected a guillotine near the facility as "unhinged behavior."
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson rejected federal intervention in a statement, saying his city has balanced protecting free expression while "addressing occasional violence and property destruction."
"Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for -– and do not need -– federal intervention," Wilson said.
Trump had previewed potential action against Portland protesters during Thursday Oval Office comments, saying authorities would "do a pretty big number on those people in Portland," whom he characterized as "professional agitators and anarchists."
The president previously described Portland as "like living in hell" and has threatened similar federal interventions in Chicago and Baltimore to combat crime. However, his Chicago National Guard threat did not materialize, and a planned Memphis deployment involves only about 150 troops, significantly fewer than previous operations.
The Portland announcement follows Trump's pattern of military deployments to Democratic-led cities, including National Guard and active-duty Marines sent to Los Angeles and his law enforcement takeover in Washington, D.C.
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