Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has firmly declined President Donald Trump's proposal to dispatch federal troops to the city, despite the persistent unrest caused by nightly protests outside a federal immigration facility.
The demonstrations have been a source of significant disruption for both residents and businesses in the area.
In a statement following President Trump's suggestion to deploy the National Guard to Portland, Wilson asserted, Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for and do not need federal intervention, as reported by the Associated Press (AP).
This stance comes amid ongoing protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, which have led to at least 26 individuals facing federal charges since June, including allegations of assaulting federal officers, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Oregon. The situation has prompted the Cottonwood School of Civics and Science to relocate due to safety concerns stemming from the use of chemical agents and crowd-control projectiles, as noted by the Daily Caller.
The protests have escalated to the point where Portland police declared a riot during June's "No Kings" marches, and demonstrators even brought a prop guillotine on Labor Day, an act federal officials labeled as "unhinged behavior."
President Trump has previously described life in Portland as akin to "living in hell" and has considered deploying federal forces to other cities such as Chicago, Baltimore, and Memphis. His administration has a history of sending the National Guard to cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Despite the turmoil, Portland has seen a decline in violent crime, with homicides dropping by 51% in the first half of this year compared to 2024, according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, as reported by the AP. However, the Portland Bureaus of Emergency Communications and Emergency Management have recorded 399 incidents in one Northeast Portland area so far in 2025, compared to 542 in 2024 and 439 in 2023, as reported by KOIN.
The nightly clashes at the ICE facility continue, with protesters encroaching on federal property and officers responding with pepper balls, according to witnesses. Residents in nearby apartments have expressed ongoing distress, with one tenant filing a lawsuit against the city, alleging that noise from bullhorns and "piercing whistle-type sounds" damaged her eardrum, and gas infiltrating her apartment made her ill, as reported by the AP.
Longtime resident Rick Stype, who has lived in the area for a decade, shared his frustration, stating, I just want them to leave us alone. I want them to be gone.
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