President Donald Trump’s deployment targets protests over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics as he escalates clashes with what he calls the “radical left.”
US President Donald Trump has ordered a new military deployment to Memphis, Tennessee, authorizing what he described as the use of “FULL FORCE” against protesters.
The decision, announced late Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social platform, comes amid mounting demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement. Trump said the move was necessary to defend Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, which he claimed were “under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists.”
The deployment is expected to include about 150 National Guard troops — a smaller force than those previously sent to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles during immigration-related protests. The White House and Pentagon have not yet released details about the timeline or the specific units involved.
Trump’s order marks the latest step in his escalating confrontation with left-wing demonstrators, who he accuses of driving political violence in the United States. The president has previously designated Antifa — a loose anti-fascist movement — as a “domestic terrorist organization,” a move critics say is aimed at criminalizing dissent.
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Since the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk earlier this year, Trump has intensified his rhetoric, deploying federal forces in multiple cities and vowing to crack down on what he calls “professional agitators and anarchists.”
Portland, Oregon, remains a flashpoint. The city’s ICE facility has been the site of repeated clashes between protesters and federal agents, sometimes resulting in injuries on both sides. Earlier this month, demonstrators erected a guillotine outside the building, prompting the Department of Homeland Security to call the act “unhinged behavior.”
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has rejected federal intervention, saying local authorities are capable of maintaining order while protecting free speech. “Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for – and do not need – federal intervention,” he said.
In Memphis, state officials are preparing for the arrival of troops. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee confirmed Friday that the deployment was coordinated with his office and will form part of a wider effort to address violent crime in the city.
Trump, speaking in the Oval Office before the announcement, hinted that the Memphis operation was only the beginning. “We’re going to get out there and do a pretty big number on those people,” he said.
