High-level discussions within the Trump administration in 2025 reveal that officials evaluated sending elite paratroopers to Portland, Oregon, in response to months of violent unrest.
According to UPI, the administration ultimately opted to send National Guard troops instead of the 82nd Airborne Division, while the Justice Department launched an investigation into Portland officials and police over allegations of bias in law enforcement.
Details of the potential military deployment emerged on October 4, 2025, when it was reported that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had considered using the 82nd Airborne Division. The unit is known for its rapid-response capabilities and has primarily conducted overseas operations. This consideration came amid increasing concerns over Antifa-linked demonstrations in Portland that turned violent.
Communications between Deputy Homeland Security Investigations Adviser Anthony Salisbury and others discussing the matter were captured in public exchanges. Images of these conversations were obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune and indicated that discussions had occurred during the previous weekend. Though senior officials contemplated sending the military, the Trump administration instead opted for a more restrained approach by deploying National Guard units to assist law enforcement and restore order in Portland.
Antifa Protests Lead to Federal Concern
Protests in Portland had escalated throughout the summer of 2025, with incidents including riots and property destruction. Among the affected sites was a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, which officials said was targeted by demonstrators aligned with Antifa.
According to a September 26 statement from the Department of Homeland Security, Antifa and aligned groups allegedly committed acts of violence against law enforcement. This included shootings, assaults, and reported death threats. The DHS also claimed the Rose City Antifa cell released private information about ICE employees, such as home addresses. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin denounced the continued violence as unacceptable. “But Antifa and their friends haven’t stopped us,” she said. “They’re not even slowing us down.”
White House Raises Concerns Over Biased Policing
Tensions intensified on October 3, 2025, when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the Department of Justice had begun investigating the Portland Police Department and city leadership. The inquiry centers on allegations of selective enforcement based on political ideology.
The investigation followed several incidents that raised concerns about unequal treatment. Conservative journalist Nick Sortor, for example, was arrested for disorderly conduct after allegedly defending himself from an Antifa attack while reporting outside the ICE facility. Leavitt claimed that local police arrested Sortor after he was “ambushed by Antifa” and attempted to protect himself. This episode prompted the DOJ to request police body camera footage and documentation related to his arrest.
Reporter Attacks and ICE Zoning Add Fuel
Another flashpoint occurred on the night of September 30, when Katie Daviscourt, a reporter for The Post Millennial, was allegedly assaulted during a protest. She was reportedly hit in the head with a flagpole by an individual identified as an Antifa member. Portland police, however, made no arrests in connection with the incident.
In addition to concerns over selective enforcement, city authorities are also considering regulatory action against the ICE facility. Alleged zoning violations, including detaining individuals for more than 24 hours, have prompted the Portland City Council to debate whether the facility should be shut down. Civil rights attorneys with the DOJ, Harmeet Dhilon and R. Jonas Geisseler, argued that the incidents involving Sortor’s arrest, the ICE zoning deliberations, and Daviscourt’s attack all suggest a troubling pattern. They emphasized that these actions might indicate favor toward one political perspective, stating, “All three would choose one viewpoint over another.”
Antifa Group Under Growing Legal Scrutiny
As part of a broader crackdown on domestic extremism, the Justice Department is now investigating the activities of Rose City Antifa. Officials said that this inquiry is one piece of a larger national directive meant to address increasing violence linked to politically motivated groups.
President Donald Trump formally designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization on September 22, 2025. This declaration came nearly a year after a major case in California involving the group reached its conclusion in court. On June 28, 2024, 11 members of an Antifa cell in Southern California were sentenced to several years in prison. They were convicted for their roles in a violent demonstration in Pacific Beach that took place in January 2021, with charges including use of tear gas, assault, conspiracy, and violations under the RICO Act.
Criminal Cases Show Federal Response Plan
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan noted that the charges stemmed from violent actions taken during the protest, underscoring the government’s resolve to prosecute extremism. Most of the convicted individuals had pled guilty, while two were found guilty in court trials.
The federal government’s approach to Antifa has grown progressively stricter amid concerns over their organizing tactics and the use of improvised weapons. The arrested individuals were described as wearing matching black outfits, protective gear, and carrying weapons at the Pacific Beach event. President Trump condemned the violence seen across cities like Portland, calling it “lawless mayhem.” His administration's handling of the unrest continues to divide public opinion, particularly around the question of appropriate force and law enforcement neutrality.
