Portland’s leadership is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s plan to send federal forces into the city.
Trump has grown increasingly vocal about conditions in Portland, saying last week that life in the city is “like living in hell.”
Nightly clashes continue outside a federal immigration building, with the continuing protests drawing frustration from residents and business owners.
Trump warned he was considering deploying federal troops to restore order, a threat he has also leveled at Chicago, Baltimore, and Memphis.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump says he is considering deploying the National Guard to PORTLAND as Antifa clashes with ICE agents
“These are PAID TERRORlSTS! PAID AGITATORS!”
“If we go to Portland, we will WIPE THEM OUT. GONE!” pic.twitter.com/ECyBOnr1mN
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 5, 2025
Earlier this summer, he had already ordered the National Guard into Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Mayor Keith Wilson dismissed Trump’s offer to deploy National Guard troops, insisting the city can handle its own unrest without outside help.
“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for – and do not need – federal intervention,” Wilson declared in a statement.
He argued that Portland police have been able to protect free speech while managing “occasional violence and property destruction that takes place during protests at the ICE facility in Portland.”
Wilson made it clear the demonstrations would remain a challenge. “We anticipate that the site, and the half-block surrounding it, will continue to be a focus of protests,” he wrote.
He went on to say Portland would “rise to the moment as a proud sanctuary city, taking legal action to stand up for our community and our rights.”
Since June, at least 26 people have faced charges tied to violent actions during the ICE protests, including assaults on federal officers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon.
Nightly standoffs remain a constant, with demonstrators stepping onto federal property and officers firing pepper balls in response.
The escalating clashes are setting up a larger legal showdown between Oregon officials and the White House.
State leaders, including Attorney General Dan Rayfield, have pledged to resist Trump’s moves.
Rayfield said he is already coordinating with Gov. Tina Kotek and other attorneys general to challenge any troop mobilization in court.
“What happened in California is proof,” Rayfield said, referencing a recent federal court ruling that blocked Trump’s use of National Guard troops and Marines in Los Angeles.
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The judge declared the deployment illegal, permanently restricting similar military action for domestic law enforcement in the future.
That ruling, however, applied only to California. Trump could still attempt other options, since state National Guard units operate under both federal and state authority.
Oregon’s Department of Justice spokesperson Jenny Hansson noted the office “can’t really get into some of the specifics” of its legal strategy, though lawmakers in the state’s congressional delegation are already preparing for the fight.
While Portland may be on the White House’s radar, Memphis is now Trump’s next target for a National Guard deployment.
On Fox News, he said “the mayor is happy” and “the governor is happy” with the plan, describing Memphis as “deeply troubled.”
Trump pledged to “fix that just like we did Washington,” highlighting the heavy federal presence he previously ordered into the nation’s capital.
Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Lee welcomed the decision, framing it as part of a wider crackdown on violent crime.
But Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, isn’t thrilled about the development.
“I did not ask for the National Guard and I don’t think it’s the way to drive down crime,” Young told reporters.
Though he admitted Memphis continues to rank poorly on crime statistics and faces significant challenges.
“I do not support the National Guard — however, they are coming. It’s not the mayor’s call,” Young added. “The mayor doesn’t have the say or the authority to stop them from coming.”
“So my goal is to make sure that, as they come, that I have an opportunity to work with them to strategize on how they engage in this community.”
Lee, meanwhile, signaled he was working out details with the White House. He said the Guard would coordinate with the FBI, state police, and local law enforcement.
“I’m grateful for the President’s unwavering support and commitment to providing every resource necessary to serve Memphians,” Lee stated, declaring that the city would not be held back.
He also said the deployment would add momentum to a current FBI-led initiative that has already resulted in hundreds of arrests.
Not all Tennessee officials are convinced. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat representing Memphis, argued the Guard’s arrival would do little to make residents safer.
“I had hoped the National Guard would not be deployed here [to Memphis],” Cohen said.
He argued that true crime reduction comes from investment in “proven programs” rather than what he mocked as the “Trump Show 2.0.” Cohen warned that troop presence could damage the local economy, particularly in tourism and construction.
“This is all about Trump showing the world that he’s a tough guy,” he said.
Trump said Friday he “would have preferred going to Chicago” but claimed the city was too “hostile” and filled with “professional agitators.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wasted no time responding, accusing Trump of politicizing the military.
On social media, Pritzker wrote, “It’s disturbing that the president is hellbent on sending troops onto America’s streets. Using those who serve in uniform as political props is insulting. None of this is normal.”
