What’s happening in Portland right now is a lesson in what goes wrong when left-wing leaders throw law and order out the window. For months, violent mobs have surrounded federal buildings, especially ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) facilities. They’ve broken windows, started fires, and attacked police officers. And what has the city’s leadership done? Nothing. Worse than nothing—they’ve actually encouraged this chaos by refusing to cooperate with the federal government.
President Trump finally had enough. Over the weekend, he deployed the National Guard to Portland to restore peace and protect federal property. Some say it was overdue. Others say it’s too harsh. But let’s be honest—what other choice did he have? When a city refuses to enforce the law and lets criminals run free, the federal government has a duty to step in.
Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, made it clear earlier this month that he won’t work with ICE. He said it proudly, like it’s something to celebrate. “We will not engage with federal immigration enforcement,” he told reporters. And why? Because Portland is a “sanctuary city,” meaning they want to shield illegal immigrants from federal law. Apparently, that’s more important to these leaders than protecting their own citizens or federal workers.
Let’s just call this what it is: lawlessness. And Portland’s city council has been part of the problem too. Instead of stopping the violence, they’ve tried to kick ICE out of the city entirely. It’s the kind of behavior we’d expect from anarchists, not elected officials.
Of course, the left-wing media is doing what it always does—covering for the Democrats. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, posted a video showing a calm Portland street in the middle of the day, claiming all is well. But anyone with eyes and a memory knows the violence mostly happens at night. That’s when the protestors show up with their masks and Molotov cocktails.
Even New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof chimed in with the most ridiculous take yet. He argued that Portland can’t be that bad because it has good wine. That’s right—apparently if you can sip Pinot Noir, the city must be fine. That’s the kind of thinking we’re up against.
Meanwhile, the real story is this: Portland is in trouble, and its leaders won’t lift a finger to fix it. Crime is up. Riots are back. And all of this started years ago when Portland decided to defund the police after the George Floyd protests in 2020. That decision opened the floodgates for criminals and radicals.
Now, groups like Antifa are using Portland as a playground for their anti-government agenda. They don’t want immigration laws enforced. They don’t want police. They want chaos. And they’re getting it—because the city won’t stop them.
Regular people in Portland are fed up. They’re tired of the violence. They’re tired of being ignored. And they’re tired of leaders who care more about politics than public safety.
President Trump did the right thing by sending in the National Guard. It’s not just about Portland—it’s about sending a message to every city in America. If you let your streets turn into war zones, the federal government will act.
The bottom line is this: law and order matter. The rule of law matters. And President Trump is standing up for both. Portland’s leaders may have forgotten that. But thankfully, the White House hasn’t.