Sicily Schroeder/The Mossy Log
On Sept. 5, President Donald Trump threatened to send in National Guard Troops to Portland. His response came after the Border Czar Tom Homan announced a crackdown on sanctuary cities, with Portland, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle comprising the list.
According to The Guardian,the President made this declaration after seeing a TV report that featured footage from the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, mislabeled as footage from the protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that took place this summer.
At the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020, following George Floyd’s murder, more than 10,000 people gathered in the first days of June to protest police brutality and racial injustice. However, CNN reportedlater that year that about 93% of protests nationwide were peaceful and nonviolent. There are two contradictory narratives surrounding protests: one portraying them as inherently violent or dangerous, the other arguing they must be peaceful to be effective.
Portland has previously seen the National Guard deployed over protests, in 2020. The legal basis for this decision in the past was to protect federal property, and generally to subdue protesters and civil unrest. However, it has been reported that the presence of federal troops in Portland in the summer of 2020 actually increased levels of unrest and arrest rates. In addition to being denounced by local, state and national leadership, several lawsuits have been filed against this presence of federal troops in Portland.
Adeline Pearson ’29, local to Portland, observes that the city is busy and inclusive. There are many community resources and events here, such as co-ops, thrift stores and homeless shelters spread throughout the city. The community resources that make our city what it is. When asked how safe she feels living in the city, Adeline noted that the lack of safety she feels in Portland is also not specific to the city but safety as a whole.
“Although I feel generally unsafe, specifically as a woman, and have experienced catcalling and harassment, this is not just something I’ve experienced in Portland, but rather indicative of a broader issue,” she said.
Pearson also expressed her views on the previous deployment of the National Guard.
“I see sending in the National Guard as an unnecessary escalation, particularly because the police have already been handling protests in Portland in a very violent manner. Protesters don’t feel safe with guns pointed at their face and being tear gassed constantly.”
Calypso Kupper ’29, who is an active participant in the Portland activist and protest scene, says that she finds Portland to be a very supportive place, although sometimes a bit performative in that there is more talk than action at times. Calypso also offered a different perspective, saying she feels pretty safe in the city, aside from interactions with the police.
“The only people I’m consistently put on edge by are the cops,” she said. “We (the protestors) held our ground in 2020 and if they want round two, round two they’ll get.”
Nationwide, people are solidly split on whether the National Guard is needed to increase safety in cities. Across the country, crime rates are on the decline, dropping an estimated 4.5% from 2024. In Portland, the homicide rates fell 8% in the past 2 years. However, many parts of the country have stood with the decision to send troops in, including many Southern states. Sandra Seegers, a community activist from Washington, D.C. told The New York Times that although she is not a Trump supporter, she was happy at his decision to send federal troops in.
“(We) are for it, because we realize that no one else is trying to stop the criminals. And we all suffer. So with him, he’s serious about it. And he’s not going to play to them, which is good,” she said.
In 2020, Trump declared Portland an “anarchist jurisdiction,” and he recently stated that living in the city is like “living in hell,” calling the 2025 protestors “paid agitators that are very dangerous to our country.” In a statement on Sept. 5, Mayor Wilson asserted the city’s desire not to have federal troops sent in.
“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for — and do not need — federal intervention. Portland will continue to rise to the moment as a proud sanctuary city, taking legal action to stand up for our community and our rights,” he said.
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