Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Fox News Tuesday that she has delivered an ultimatum to Portland’s top officials, demanding they take decisive action to contain Antifa demonstrations or face a massive influx of federal law enforcement.
The warning comes as the Trump administration formalizes its hardline stance against the group, designating Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization.”
Threat of Federal Manpower Surge
Appearing on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Secretary Noem detailed her recent face-to-face meetings with Portland’s mayor and police chief, where she expressed extreme disappointment with the city’s leadership.
Noem told Watters that she explicitly warned the mayor that federal authorities would “cover him up” with a surge of manpower if the city failed to enforce basic security measures, particularly around federal facilities.
“What I told him is that if he did not follow through on some of these security measures for our officers [that] we were going to cover him up with more federal resources,” Noem said. “And that we were going to send four times the amount of federal officers here so that the people of Portland could have some safety.”
Noem, who also met with the state police superintendent, outlined specific demands, including more security and a larger buffer zone at federal buildings, and ensuring city streets are open and not controlled by “anarchists.” She criticized local officials for “leaving our officers [to] hang out to dry” instead of backing up federal agents.
The move follows a September request by Noem to President Donald Trump for reinforcements to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in Portland. President Trump had subsequently ordered troops to defend the facilities.
Antifa Designated “Domestic Terrorist Organization”
The ultimatum is underpinned by a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s posture toward the far-left movement.
President Trump has signed an executive order formally designating Antifa as a “domestic terrorist organization.” The order, titled “DESIGNATING ANTIFA AS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” directs all relevant federal departments and agencies to “utilize all applicable authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations” conducted by the group.
The administration’s rationale, outlined in the order, asserts that Antifa is a “militarist, anarchist enterprise” that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government and engages in a “campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide.”
The order cites “coordinated efforts to obstruct enforcement of Federal laws,” organized riots, and violent assaults on law enforcement officers. It also explicitly calls for the investigation of those who provide material support to Antifa.
Legal Hurdles Ahead
While the executive order marks a formal shift in federal strategy, its legal authority remains uncertain. The U.S. has a legal process for designating foreign terrorist organizations, which allows for sanctions and prosecution of material support, but no similar legal mechanism exists for domestic groups.
Legal experts have raised concerns that the designation could face challenges on First Amendment grounds, as critics argue it may be seen as targeting an ideology or a political movement rather than a structured organization.
The executive order itself includes a general provision stating that it “shall be implemented consistent with applicable law,” a clause that legal observers suggest may signal the potential for future court battles as the Justice Department and other agencies interpret and implement the unprecedented domestic designation.
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