WASHINGTON D.C. – In a pair of dramatic and highly controversial moves, President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of the U.S. military to Portland, Oregon, to confront individuals he labeled "domestic terrorists," while simultaneously announcing his intention to end birthright citizenship in the United States. These actions represent a significant escalation in federal authority and a direct challenge to long-standing constitutional norms, setting the stage for major legal and political battles.
Military Deployment to Portland
President Trump has authorized the use of active-duty military personnel to address ongoing unrest and protests in Portland, a city that has been a focal point of civil and political clashes for years. Citing the need to restore "law and order," the President's order frames the deployment as a necessary response to persistent demonstrations that he alleges are orchestrated by extremist groups.
"We are not going to let our cities be taken over by radical-left anarchists," the President stated in a press briefing. "These are not protesters; they are domestic terrorists, and they will be met with the full force of the United States military."
This move is exceptionally contentious due to the Posse Comitatus Act, a U.S. federal law that generally prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement purposes. The administration is expected to cite other authorities, such as the Insurrection Act, to legally justify the deployment.
The decision has sparked immediate and fierce condemnation from state and local officials in Oregon, as well as from civil liberties organizations. Critics argue that deploying the military against U.S. citizens is an unprecedented overreach of executive power that threatens the foundations of American democracy. They fear it will escalate tensions rather than quell them, blurring the lines between military defense and civilian policing.
Challenge to Birthright Citizenship
In a separate but equally impactful announcement, President Trump declared his firm intention to sign an executive order aimed at abolishing birthright citizenship. This principle, known as jus soli ("right of the soil"), is the legal concept that any person born within the territory of a state is a natural-born citizen.
In the United States, this right is enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
"We are the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States for 85 years with all of those benefits," Trump claimed. "It's ridiculous. And it has to end."
This move directly targets the children of undocumented immigrants and is a cornerstone of the President's hardline immigration agenda. However, the vast majority of legal and constitutional scholars argue that birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the Constitution and cannot be undone by an executive order. Any such attempt would trigger immediate and massive legal challenges that would almost certainly reach the Supreme Court. Critics view the announcement as a political strategy to energize his conservative base by taking a firm stance on a core immigration issue.
