'Unacceptable violence': Portland mayor demands ICE leave city over use of tear gas on protesters

PORTLAND, OREGON: Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has demanded that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leave the city after federal agents deployed tear gas and other crowd-control measures against protesters outside an ICE facility.

The protests held on Saturday, January 31, which thousands attended, were described by officials and many participants as peaceful until confronted by federal agents. Wilson characterized the actions of ICE as unconstitutional and harmful, particularly given the presence of families and young children at the demonstrations.

Keith Wilson says ICE has 'lost all legitimacy'

Wilson issued a formal statement that ICE cease operations in the city following an incident in which federal agents reportedly used tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets on a crowd of demonstrators, including young children, outside the ICE facility on the South Waterfront.

The protest was widely described by the mayor and local authorities as a daytime demonstration in which “the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat and posed no danger” to federal agents.

Wilson said, “To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave. Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame."

He further added, "To those who continue to make these sickening decisions, go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children.” According to The Oregonian, federal agents also reportedly used flash-bang grenades during the confrontation.

Condemning the actions of federal authorities and emphasizing the principles of public service and accountability, Wilson said, “Our nation will never accept a federal presence where agents wield deadly force against the very people they are sworn to serve.”

He continued, "I share the impatience with those who demand we use every legal tool at our disposal to push back against this inexcusable, unconscionable, and unacceptable violence against our community."

Portland protests spark scrutiny of federal tactics

In addition to criticizing the federal response, Wilson announced that the city would begin charging a fee to detention facilities that deploy chemical agents, describing the move as part of Portland’s broader effort to enforce accountability.

He also stressed that the city would carefully document and preserve evidence from the incident to support any future accountability actions. Paramedics from the Portland Fire Bureau were dispatched to provide medical assistance to individuals affected by the chemical agents, while local police observed the demonstration without making any arrests.

The Portland protest was one of several demonstrations held across the country in opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies and federal enforcement practices.

Protests have occurred in other cities, including Minneapolis, where recent encounters between federal agents and residents resulted in the deaths of two individuals, Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good.

While federal response tactics have varied by city, the deployment of aggressive crowd-control measures in Portland has intensified calls from local leaders for greater oversight and accountability.

Trump previously posted on social media that local law enforcement should handle protests in their jurisdictions, but he also stated that he instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to have federal agents remain vigilant in guarding US government facilities. 

In his post, the Republican leader emphasized that federal agents should respond forcefully if met with violence.