Portland mayor warns city to fix homeless problem before Trump 'deploys bulldozers'

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson (D) warned in an email sent to thousands of recipients that President Donald Trump could target Portland, Ore., next if they don't fix their homelessness crisis, according to OregonLive.

"Recent events in Washington, D.C., show us what will happen to Portland if we don’t move with speed, purpose and compassion to address the humanitarian crisis on our streets," Wilson wrote, according to OregonLive. "The federal administration deploys bulldozers and mass arrests by masked agents; the opposite of our outreach worker and emergency shelter strategy."

Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., to crack down on crime in the city and said he planned to send troops to Chicago as well. 

"Let’s work together by volunteering and donating, and prove the administration’s heavy-handed tactics are not needed in our city," the email continued, according to OregonLive. 

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson speaks at the Moda Center during the Portland Fire WNBA Launch Party on July 15, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

TRUMP VOWS TO MAKE DC 'SAFER' AND 'BEAUTIFUL' AS CAPITAL BATTLES CRIME AND HOMELESSNESS

The White House told Fox News Digital said getting homeless people off the streets is "commonsense." 

"All local leaders should see the tremendous results achieved by President Trump in DC and look to emulate them in their own cities. President Trump’s actions to get homeless people off the street makes the city safer for residents, visitors, and the homeless people themselves. This is commonsense and should be embraced by others around the country," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. 

Wilson’s email reportedly included information about how people can help nonprofit organizations that run homelessness programs in the city.

The mayor also hopes to recruit volunteers to engage with homeless people across the city, the outlet reported. Services listed included haircuts, resume-writing help and veterinary care.

OregonLive reported the email also outlined larger donation needs, including $12,500 for "worship chairs."

"In this case, we’re acting primarily as a switchboard," Taylor Zajonc, Wilson's deputy chief of staff, told OregonLive. "The city of Portland is not accepting any kinds of donations directly but trying to connect people to nonprofit providers."

A pedestrian walks past a homeless encampment on Hoyt Street in Portland, Ore., on Jan. 24, 2024. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

PORTLAND ANTI-ICE RIOT CRUSHED BY FEDERAL AGENTS 

Zajonc said they hoped to draw "an extremely clear distinction" between how the mayor wants to address the crisis and how Trump might approach it.

Wilson reaffirmed his commitment to Portland’s sanctuary city policies after a night of violence outside a local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

Former President Donald Trump at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., on Aug. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

He vowed that local police would not aid ICE and said he’s working with Portland police to determine a response to the Labor Day violence outside the South Macadam Avenue facility, the latest in a series of incidents there in recent months.

Anti-ICE protesters were captured on video rolling out a guillotine and confronting police before law enforcement fired munitions to disperse the crowd.

Fox News' Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.