In brief
Portland's Mayor Keith Wilson has publicly condemned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for employing tear gas against protesters, including families with children, during a peaceful demonstration at the South Waterfront facility. He has called for federal agents to resign and leave the city, emphasizing the need for accountability regarding their aggressive tactics.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Mayor Keith Wilson of Portland demanded the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to vacate the city after federal agents deployed tear gas against a crowd of demonstrators, including young children, outside an ICE facility during a weekend protest characterized as peaceful.
Eyewitnesses reported that agents used tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets as thousands gathered at the South Waterfront facility on Saturday. Erin Hoover Barnett, a former reporter, described the scene as terrifying, with parents frantically trying to care for small children amidst the chaos.
Mayor Wilson stated that the demonstration was peaceful and called out ICE for their violent response, asserting it jeopardized innocent lives. He voiced a strong message for those involved with ICE, urging them to resign: Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame.
This protest in Portland is just one of many occurring nationwide against the Trump administration's immigration policies. Similar demonstrations saw confrontations in cities like Minneapolis, where federal agents were involved in fatal incidents.
While federal agents insisted on protecting government properties and responded aggressively to perceived threats during protests, Wilson stood firm in his assertion that Portland would impose penalties on detention facilities utilizing chemical agents. He called for the federal government to be held accountable for their actions that endanger the community.
