KEY POINTS:
- NPR reported on September 29 that President Trump has ordered the deployment of troops to Portland, Oregon, and Memphis, Tennessee
- OPB reported on September 28 that the Trump administration called 200 members of the Oregon National Guard into federal service for a 60-day deployment
- According to NBC News on September 27, Oregon officials learned of Trump’s deployment order from social media
- Multiple sources including KGW and CBS reported on September 28 that Oregon and Portland filed a federal lawsuit challenging the deployment
Portland Deployment Sparks Immediate Legal Action
President Trump ordered the deployment of troops to Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, September 27, authorizing them to use “full force” to curb protests outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, according to NPR on September 29. NBC News reported on September 27 that Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was directing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.”
The Trump administration called 200 members of the Oregon National Guard into federal service for a 60-day deployment, according to a memo from the Department of Defense to Governor Tina Kotek, as reported by OPB on September 28. NPR reported that a Pentagon official who was not authorized to speak publicly said the Pentagon had not issued a deployment order for Portland and only learned of Trump’s request from the media.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced Sunday that the state filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, according to multiple sources including KGW on September 28. CBS News reported on September 29 that the lawsuit names President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and their respective departments as defendants.
State and Local Officials Dispute Need for Troops
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said at a Saturday press conference that “the number of necessary troops is zero, in Portland and any other American city,” according to OPB on September 27. NBC News reported on September 27 that Wilson said the city did not ask for federal troops and called them arriving “without precedent or purpose.”
Governor Tina Kotek told reporters she spoke with Trump by phone on Saturday, according to OPB on September 28. OPB reported that Kotek said she told the president “there was no insurrection or public safety threat that requires military intervention in Oregon.”
According to the Oregon Capital Chronicle on September 27, Oregon leaders said Trump did not consult with state and local officials or law enforcement agencies before announcing the deployment. The Boca Raton Tribune reported on September 27 that violent crime in Portland dropped in the first six months of 2025.
Memphis Deployment Part of Broader Pattern
NPR reported on September 29 that federal troops are also expected to arrive in Memphis, Tennessee, this week. According to NPR on September 18, President Trump signed a memorandum on September 15 directing National Guard troops to Memphis to combat crime.
CNN reported on September 15 that Memphis Mayor Paul Young said “I did not ask for the National Guard, and I don’t think it’s the way to drive down crime.” However, Axios reported on September 15 that Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, welcomed federal assistance and said he had been in “constant communication” with the Trump administration for months about a plan to curb crime in Memphis.
PBS News reported on September 15 that the deployment to Memphis will include about 150 troops. According to NPR on September 18, the White House said the deployment of troops to Memphis, which is majority Black, is to “restore public safety” as the city is “amid a longtime struggle with violent crime.”
Pattern of Military Deployments to Democratic-Led Cities
NPR reported on September 29 that in Washington, D.C., more than 2,000 National Guard troops from various states have been deployed for more than a month in what Trump said is an effort to crack down on crime. NBC News reported on September 27 that Trump also federalized California’s National Guard against Governor Gavin Newsom’s wishes and deployed them along with Marines to Los Angeles in June to quell protests against ICE deportations.
According to NPR on September 29, Trump has threatened about a dozen cities at this point, all Democratically-led, including Chicago. NBC News reported that earlier in September, a federal judge in California ruled that the Trump administration violated a law that bars the use of soldiers for civilian law enforcement activities.
Legal Challenges Mount
MSNBC reported on September 29 that Oregon and Portland’s lawsuit cited violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which broadly restricts using the armed forces for domestic law enforcement. According to CBS News on September 29, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that 200 members of the Oregon National Guard are being called into federal service for the next 60 days.
The Oregon Department of Justice stated on September 28 that the lawsuit argues the President lacks authority under federal law to federalize the Guard. According to multiple sources including Axios on September 29, Oregon officials called the deployment “patently unlawful.”
Protests and Security Concerns
NPR reported on September 29 that hundreds of protesters gathered outside Portland’s ICE facility late into Sunday night. KPTV reported on September 28 that federal agents used pepper spray on protesters gathered at the Portland ICE building on Sunday evening.
According to Al Jazeera on September 27, protests against the U.S. government’s anti-immigration policies have taken place outside ICE facilities in cities including Portland. PBS News reported on September 27 that early Saturday, there was no sign of any federal presence in Portland’s downtown, where people were jogging along the Willamette River on a sunny fall day.
Expert Concerns About Military Normalization
NPR reported on September 18 that legal experts worry these deployments are normalizing the public to the idea of armed troops on city streets. According to NPR, Rosa Brooks, a Georgetown University law professor who served under President Barack Obama, said she worries it will normalize the public to something America’s founders were very much against.
NPR reported on September 29 that the National Guard is not trained for community policing or to make arrests. According to NPR, in D.C., National Guard members have mainly been patrolling federal property and beautifying city parks.
