President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of US troops to Portland, Oregon, authorising use of full force if needed, to suppress protests targeting immigration detention centres.
He claimed that the move would help protect any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.
The announcement drew pushback from Democratic lawmakers, who said there was no need for federal troops to be deployed to the city.
There is no national security threat in Portland. Our communities are safe and calm, said Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. He further said that any deployment would be an abuse of power. We will be prepared to respond if we have to, Kotek added.
Yesterday’s announcement marks the further expansion of the deployment of troops in American cities, amid a wider crackdown by the Trump administration on illegal immigration.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland has been targeted by protesters since early June, sometimes leading to violent clashes.
As of 8 September, the US Attorney’s Office had brought federal charges against 26 people for crimes including arson, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that demonstrators had repeatedly attacked and laid siege to an ICE processing centre in Portland.
