President Trump announced that he would send troops to Portland, Oregon, warning he had authorised the use of “Full Force, if necessary” to deal with what he described as “domestic terrorists,” as he broadened his contentious deployments to additional US cities.
President Donald Trump on Saturday that he would deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, calling the city “war ravaged” and claiming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities there were “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 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. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter!,” he said in a post on social media platform truthsocial.
Trump said the move was required to safeguard US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, which he claimed were “under siege” from Antifa and other domestic terrorists.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland has frequently been targeted by protesters, resulting at times in violent confrontations that left some federal agents injured.
Earlier this week, Trump signed an order formally classifying Antifa as a domestic terrorist organisation.
Democratic lawmakers from Oregon criticised both Trump’s remarks and the reported actions of ICE agents in the state.
“ICE has said they’re targeting people for arrest and detainment who have committed crimes. That’s what they told us. But that’s not what we are seeing,” Democratic House Representative Suzanne Bonamici told reporters on Friday.
Trump previously sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles and Washington, DC, a move that drew sharp criticism from Democrats in those cities and sparked legal challenges. The only exception was Memphis, where the governor welcomed his order.
Earlier in September, Trump likened life in Portland to “living in hell” and signalled he was considering deploying federal forces there. He has issued similar warnings to other Democrat-led cities, including Chicago and Baltimore.
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