Portland leaders reject Trump's troop deployment move
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A protester in front of the Portland ICE facility after President Trump threatened to send federal troops to the city. Photo: Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images
Political and community leaders are rejecting President Trump's move to deploy federal troops to Portland, calling it unnecessary and dangerous.
Why it matters: President Trump authorized the deployment of "all necessary" military troops to Portland on Saturday, giving them authority to use "full force" in a city he described as "war ravaged."
The latest: Oregon and Portland filed a lawsuit on Sunday seeking to block Trump from deploying troops to the city. The suit notes that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum "calling 200 members of the Oregon National Guard into federal service for a period of 60 days."
What they're saying: "The necessary number of troops is zero," Mayor Keith Wilson said in a statement on Saturday.
- In an open letter signed by Wilson, Gov. Tina Kotek, Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, more than 100 state leaders noted that crime was down in Portland and the city is on the rebound.
- "Federal military intervention would directly threaten this progress and undermine the very momentum that's attracting businesses activity and talent to our city," the letter reads.
Zoom in: The description of Portland as a city at war rang hollow to some locals, who spent the weekend posting photos of themselves going to farmer's markets, a Timbers game or shopping in one of the city's bustling commercial districts.
- Whatever tension exists here has been concentrated to the driveway of the ICE facility in South Portland, where protesters have sporadically clashed with federal agents during near-nightly demonstrations over the last several months.
Yes, but: A Portland Police Bureau assistant chief testified in court that, in some cases, federal officers were "instigating" the clashes with protesters and were "not following best practice," per the Oregonian.
Between the lines: The federal threats follow a city-issued land-use violation against the ICE facility, which allegedly held detainees overnight — a practice not permitted under Portland code.
The other side: Former Oregon representative and current U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer praised the potential deployment in a social media post:
- "I've seen firsthand how lawlessness has transformed Portland from a beautiful place to live to a crime-ridden war zone."
Zoom out: Trump has already sent the National Guard to Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles and has threatened to do so in other Democrat-led cities, including Baltimore, New Orleans and Chicago.
What's next: At a Saturday press conference, Kotek told reporters she had spoken with Trump, effectively telling him "no thanks."
- "I conveyed that directly to him — that we got this. We are good. We are doing fine," Kotek said, noting Trump responded by saying "let's keep talking," per the Oregonian.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the lawsuit filed against the Trump administration.