Donald Trump on Saturday ordered the deployment of the military to a fourth Democratic city, Portland, which has been experiencing protests against immigration enforcement for several months, and authorized "the use of maximum force if necessary."

"I am directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland and our ICE facilities under siege from Antifa and other domestic terrorists," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"I also authorize the use of maximum force if necessary," he added, without specifying what he meant by that.

Asked by AFP, the Pentagon said it was "ready to mobilize American military personnel," committing to "provide information and updates as soon as they become available."

Contacted by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, the president "did not provide details or a timeline" for this deployment, she said during a press conference alongside Democratic city and state officials, as well as the police chief.

All presented a united front against a measure that Mayor Keith Wilson described as "unwanted, unnecessary, and un-American." "The number of troops needed is zero, in Portland or any other American city," he insisted, calling instead for "engineers, teachers, and social workers."

Tina Kotek assured that she had "made it clear (to Donald Trump, editor's note) that Portland and the State of Oregon believe in the rule of law and that we are capable of managing our own local public safety needs."

"There is no insurrection, there is no threat to national security, and there is no need for military troops in our great city," she declared, before calling on the public "not to take the bait" by engaging in violence or vandalism.

Donald Trump, who has already deployed the army to Los Angeles, Washington, and Memphis, threatened in early September to send the National Guard to the northwestern US city, the largest in Oregon, which was the scene of major protests in May 2020, during his first term, following the police killing of African-American George Floyd.

- "Sanctuary" city -

The Republican president has made the fight against illegal immigration a top priority, referring to an "invasion" of the United States by "criminals from abroad" and speaking extensively about deportations, of which ICE is one of the main instruments.

Several protests and actions against ICE have erupted across the country, particularly in so-called "sanctuary" cities, such as Portland, which protect illegal immigrants facing deportation.

This week, a man opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, killing one detainee inside and critically wounding two others.

In recent months, the Justice Department has initiated proceedings against the "sanctuary" states of Illinois, New York, and Colorado, as well as the cities of Los Angeles and Chicago, all of which are run by Democrats.

In response to the assassination of ultraconservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, the American president also signed an executive order on Monday classifying the "Antifa" movement, which brings together groups claiming to be anti-fascist, as a "terrorist organization."

Without immediately knowing the motive for this assassination, the Trumpist right quickly pointed the finger at the American left as responsible for the climate of political violence in the country and spoke of "domestic terrorism."

As part of his fight against crime in Democratic cities, Donald Trump issued an executive order two weeks ago to deploy National Guard reservists to Memphis, a predominantly black city in Tennessee.

National Guardsmen are trained to respond to natural disasters, but they can also fight abroad.

After Los Angeles in June, where Marines were also deployed, the National Guard was called to Washington, the federal capital, in mid-August.

Donald Trump also threatened to send federal police and military personnel to Chicago, New York and Baltimore.

AFP