“Cities Together” held a news conference Tuesday to share how troops and a surge of federal agents are affecting Portland, LA, Memphis, and D.C.
PORTLAND, Oregon — Community leaders from coast to coast spoke out together on Tuesday to condemn what they called a growing federal military presence in their communities. They said the surge of National Guard and federal officers in cities has created fear and intimidation, while the Trump administration defends it as a public safety operation — even a training opportunity.
The community leaders call their new coalition “Cities Together” and warn other cities in the nation that they could be next to see troop deployments inside their neighborhoods, outside stores and near schools.
Sandy Chung, the executive director of ACLU Oregon, represented Oregon in the Cities Together coalition.
“If you send military troops against the people of the U.S., you are abusing your power and disrespecting the military and our service members, and you’re wasting our tax dollars,” Chung said.
Keya Chatterjee, the executive director of the Free DC campaign, led other community leaders in a cross-country news conference Tuesday. It followed President Donald Trump’s latest comments on his use of the military and how he perceives the state of Portland.
“Every single time they attack our communities, we only grow stronger,” said Keya Chatterjee, the executive director of the Free DC campaign.
The president told a crowd his version of recent conversations he’s had with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek.
“I get a call from the liberal governor: ‘Sir, please don’t come in. We don’t need you.’ I said, ‘Well, unless they’re playing false tapes this look like World War II. Your place is burning down,” Trump said. “I mean, you must be kidding. ‘Sir, we have it under control.’ I said, ‘You don’t have it under control, Governor, but I’ll check it and I’ll call you back.’ I called him back, I said, ‘this place is a nightmare.'”
RELATED: Texts between Oregon Gov. Kotek and Trump staff provide insight into decision to send troops
Community leaders from the District of Columbia to Los Angeles said the only “nightmare” is the recent deployment of National Guard and federal officers in their communities.
“It was a siege, they invaded our community,” said Lydia Avila, from “We Are California.”
Chatterjee said it’s been a similar experience in Washington, D.C.
“Troops have been walking down neighborhood streets, and waterfront parks,” she said. “The federal surge forces have been at soccer games, football games, in front of schools … children have seen people kidnapped in front of schools.”
In Tennessee, community organizer Maria Oceja said the Federal law enforcement surge under the Memphis Safe Task Force is now underway.
Thirteen different federal agencies and the National Guard assigned to make Memphis “safe again.”
“Originally we thought the U.S. marshals were going to be enforcing outstanding warrants,” she said, “but they saturated the main streets of the city — all to conduct traffic stops all over the city.”
The Trump administration has described these deployments and sudden surges in federal agents as safety operations, reportedly defending the actions to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“It’s a war from within,” President Trump said. “I told Pete we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.”
“D.C. is not a training zone for the military,” Chatterjee said, “none of our communities are!”
One member of the group called attention to states, including Louisiana, which have requested National Guard deployments in their cities.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry sent a letter to Defense Secretary Hegseth, asking for up to one thousand troops through next year to help fight crime.
Other governors, including Kotek, have reiterated that Oregon has no need for a troop deployment.
