Portland Police Testify Trump’s Troop Order Escalated Protests

In Portland, Oregon, police officials testified that President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops intensified protests rather than calming them. The testimony came during a federal trial examining whether the troop deployment was legally justified.

According to Commander Franz Schoening of the Portland Police Bureau, demonstrations in September had been relatively small and peaceful. However, after Trump announced the deployment of troops, crowds grew larger and tensions escalated, with more confrontations between protesters and federal officers. Despite the increase in protest size, police noted that little violence was directed at federal agents, though federal forces were accused of using excessive tactics in response.

The trial, overseen by U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, is the first to weigh evidence on whether protests at an immigration facility constituted a rebellion or prevented federal agents from enforcing the law—conditions that could justify military involvement. For now, troops remain blocked from being deployed in Portland under Immergut’s earlier ruling, pending the outcome of the case.

The legal battle reflects a broader debate over the use of federal military power in domestic unrest, a move critics argue breaks with long-standing norms against deploying troops on U.S. soil. Oregon officials have argued that Trump’s actions were unwarranted and risked provoking larger demonstrations, while the administration has defended the deployment as necessary to protect federal property.

As the trial continues, Portland remains a focal point in the national conversation about civil liberties, federal authority, and the limits of presidential power during times of protest.