Trump sends troops to ‘war ravaged’ Portland to protect ICE facilities

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump ordered the Department of War to send troops to Portland, Oregon, to secure the city and safeguard Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities on Saturday.

The move comes as protests against ICE have reportedly escalated in recent weeks.

Trump said he was prepared to authorize the use of “full force” if needed, citing attacks on federal personnel and facilities in the city.

Trump sends troops after Kristi Noem’s request to protect ICE in Portland

The president linked his order directly to a request from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“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,” Trump declared on Truth Social.

He went further, saying, “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”

His announcement follows a series of violent incidents reported by the Department of Homeland Security, including rioters shining lasers into officers’ eyes, throwing smoke grenades, and attempting to damage equipment at the ICE facility.

"On June 29, a rioter was attempting to damage equipment at the facility. DHS officers took the subject into custody, who resisted arrest, grabbed an officer in the genitals, and kicked officers in the groin and legs," the department says in its report. 

Pam Bondi launches Justice Department response to crack down on 'criminal mobs'

The president’s announcement comes amid new steps by US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

On Friday, she said the Justice Department would send agents to ICE facilities and that the Joint Terrorism Task Forces would investigate “domestic terrorism” tied to ongoing protests.

Bondi vowed strict enforcement, writing on X that prosecutors would seek “the most serious available charges against all participants in these criminal mobs.”

She added, “I have witnessed the continued onslaught of violence perpetrated against ICE officers across our country. The Department of Justice will not stand idly by in the face of such lawlessness. The rule of law will prevail,” said Bondi.

Frustration, support over federal troop presence

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who served one term in the House representing Oregon’s 5th congressional district, welcomed Trump’s decision to send troops to the Beaver State, saying she has seen how “lawlessness” has turned Portland into a “crime-ridden war zone.”  

“I’ve seen firsthand how lawlessness has transformed Portland from a beautiful place to live to a crime-ridden war zone,” Chavez-DeRemer said in a Saturday post on X.

“Thank you, @POTUS, for taking action to keep our ICE facilities protected and Make America Safe Again!” 

Local leaders, however, voiced frustration at what they described as a sudden influx of federal agents.

Portland officials held an emergency press conference on Friday after spotting the deployment in the city.

“We did not ask for them to come,” Mayor Keith Wilson said during the briefing, according to a report from KOIN.

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon also issued a sharp response, arguing that the move was unnecessary.

“Portland is a peaceful, vibrant city with no need for federal agents on our streets,” Wyden said late Friday.