U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he is deploying American troops to Portland to “protect” the city and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities from Antifa and “other domestic terrorists.”
“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, I am asking Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect the war-torn city of Portland and any of our ICE facilities under siege from attacks by Antifa and other domestic terrorists,” Trump stated, according to The Hill.
“I am also authorizing the Full Force, if necessary,” he added.
Earlier this week, Trump signed an order officially designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, granting the U.S. government broad authority to investigate Antifa operations or any instance where a member “provided material support” to the movement.
“The individuals associated with Antifa and acting on its behalf further coordinate with other organizations and entities to spread, incite, and advance political violence and suppress lawful political speech,” the White House said in the order signed Monday.
This announcement represents a further expansion of Trump’s deployment of troops to cities across the United States.
Earlier in August, Trump had deployed members of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., as part of the administration’s efforts to combat crime.
