Former US President Donald Trump on Saturday authorised the deployment of federal troops to Portland, Oregon, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities nationwide, escalating his controversial domestic military strategy.
The move follows similar deployments in cities like Los Angeles and Washington, DC, often made over the objections of local Democratic leaders.
“In response to a request from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, I’m directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland and any ICE facilities under siege from Antifa and other domestic terrorists,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“I am also authorising full force, if necessary,” he added, without clarifying what “full force” entails.
Portland has been a focal point of protest, particularly at local ICE facilities, amid public outrage over Trump’s immigration policies and aggressive deportation efforts. The city also saw significant unrest during Trump’s first term, especially following the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
Protests have continued at ICE facilities across the country, with demonstrators opposing what they describe as inhumane enforcement tactics and mass arrests by federal agents, often in unmarked vehicles or wearing masks.
Trump’s decision comes days after a deadly shooting at a Texas ICE facility, where one detainee was killed and two others critically injured. Federal authorities say the gunman, who died by suicide, had fired from a rooftop near the building and appeared to be targeting agents.
The latest announcement also follows the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a university campus earlier this month. In response, Trump formally designated the left-wing “Antifa” movement a “domestic terrorist group”—a move that has sparked concern among civil liberties advocates who fear it could be used to stifle political dissent.
“We are witnessing domestic terrorist sedition against the federal government,” Trump’s senior adviser Stephen Miller posted Friday on X. “All necessary resources will be utilised.”
Trump previously deployed troops in Los Angeles in June, bypassing the state’s Democratic governor and triggering ongoing legal challenges over the limits of presidential power in domestic military use.
AFP
