Oregon Leaders Unite Against Federal Troop Deployment

Letter from elected officials and community leaders tells the Trump administration not to send in federal troops, which will disrupt the city’s hard-earned progress

The Portland Metro Chamber has released an open letter — co-signed by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, U.S. House representatives, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and other state and local community leaders — rejecting any deployment of federal troops to the city. The letter calls such action counterproductive to Portland’s recovery and urges the Trump administration to cease outdated narratives and disparagement of the city. Organizations and elected officials who share these concerns are invited to add their signatures to the letter.

The letter, signed by 110 community leaders and counting, explains why federal intervention would be unnecessary and harmful. Portland has achieved a 51% decrease in homicides during the first half of 2025, which is the largest reduction among major American cities. Gun violence has declined 30% from last year and nearly 60% since 2022, proving local law enforcement and community partnerships are delivering results without federal overreach. 

“If President Trump came to Portland today, he would find people riding bikes, playing sports, enjoying sunshine and buying produce at farmers markets. We’ve done a lot of hard work to reform our public safety system, refocus on our economy, and help our most vulnerable residents,” said Mayor Keith Wilson. “Rather than engaging in a show of force, imagine the good that could be accomplished if the federal government sent engineers, teachers, or outreach workers to support our progress. This deployment is unwanted, unneeded, and un-American in the city we call home.”

More than 21 million pedestrians visited downtown through August of this year, with summer 2025 having the busiest summer for pedestrian traffic since before the pandemic. LinkedIn recently ranked Portland in the top 25 on its “Cities on the Rise 2025” list, recognizing the metro among the fastest-growing areas for jobs and new talent.

“It's been a glorious fall weekend here in Portland, where people are out and about, enjoying everything from our state-of-the-art libraries to our parks, shopping at our vibrant small businesses, and rooting for our Portland Timbers downtown. It couldn't be further from this administration's depiction of our beloved city,” said Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. "I'm proud to stand with local elected officials, labor, business, and our entire community in saying that military intervention is not wanted, not needed, and not lawful.

"We will not let this administration divide us."

The letter warns that military deployment would devastate Portland's economic recovery, pointing to Washington, D.C., where restaurant sales plummeted 30% following National Guard deployment. It emphasizes that an armed military presence “dissuades customers and damages tourism and small businesses, which are vital to our economy.”

“Portland and the region’s turnaround speaks for itself, with private sector investment of almost $11 billion in just the past few months and rapidly growing foot traffic this year,” said Andrew Hoan, president of the Portland Metro Chamber. “Given the economic fallout seen in D.C. during National Guard deployment, federal troops would directly threaten this progress and undermine the very momentum that's attracting business activity and talent back to our city. Principles of local governance make America strong. We call on the Trump Administration to support our business community and local law enforcement by refraining from deploying federal troops to Portland.”

The letter also draws a direct parallel to 2020, when the Trump administration deployed anonymous federal agents in response to protests, which “inflamed and extended the protests” and “compounded the harm to Portland.” The letter makes clear that Portland has not requested federal assistance and explicitly rejects military intervention.