Demand from Oregon lawmakers follows Trump’s pledge to send troops to city with orders to use full military force
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, Val Hoyle, Maxine Dexter and Janelle Bynum today demanded the Trump administration keep federal agents and troops out of Portland, following Donald Trump’s declaration that he is directing the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to deploy troops to the city and around the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility with orders to use full military force.
“This unilateral action represents an abuse of executive authority, seeks to incite violence, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and states,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to President Trump, Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “We urge you to rescind this decision, and withdraw any military personnel and federal agents you have recently sought to deploy.”
The lawmakers raised concerns that future deployment of federal troops would result in abuses similar to those inflicted by federal troops in 2020 under Trump’s first presidency, including the shooting of a peaceful protester in the head by a federal agent and the tear gassing of local officials and non-violent protestors. The letter also points to a recent ruling by a federal judge that the Trump administration violated the law by deploying military forces to the City of Los Angeles for domestic matters.
Dear President Trump, Secretary Noem, and Secretary Hegseth,
We write to reject your decision to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon. Portland is a vibrant and peaceful city, and does not require any deployment of federal troops or additional federal agents to keep our community safe. This unilateral action represents an abuse of executive authority, seeks to incite violence, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and states. We urge you to rescind this decision, and withdraw any military personnel and federal agents you have recently sought to deploy.
Our constituents have long engaged in peaceful First Amendment activity, and the Governor of Oregon and the Mayor of Portland have the appropriate resources to maintain peace and order in our communities. The Executive Branch’s deployment of military forces into American cities—such as in Los Angeles, California earlier this year—without the consultation of the Governor, local leaders, and local law enforcement, is a dangerous misuse of federal power, and will only disrupt the important work of local law enforcement to ensure public safety.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the power of the federal government to use the military for domestic matters. This ruling made clear that the Trump administration violated black letter law with its deployment of troops to Los Angeles. We remain concerned about similar violations of law, as the Trump administration has failed to notify Congress under what authority the President intends to deploy troops to Portland.
Portland residents experienced the consequences of an unnecessary and outrageous federal deployment five years ago. In summer of 2020, the White House unleashed federal agents on Portland like an occupying army, complete with military-grade equipment and violent tactics that were utterly unacceptable on American soil. A federal agent shot a peaceful protester in the head with a crowd-control munition, sending the man to the hospital with a fractured skull. Federal agents were captured on video jumping out of unmarked vans and grabbing people off the streets without explanation. A county commissioner was tear gassed along with other non-violent protestors. A Navy veteran was filmed being beaten by federal agents after he questioned them about their actions. These examples, and many more that occurred in Portland, demonstrate that the federal agents who were parachuted into Portland incited violence and trampled over the constitutional rights of Americans. There is no question that another deployment by your administration will result in similar abuses.
We demand, as the Oregon congressional delegation did in 2020, that you rescind your order, and remove unwanted forces from the City of Portland.
