Portland and Oregon's ICE facility has been targeted nightly, with minimal assistance from local police due to political directives from city leaders, officials said.
Cammila Wamsley, director of Portland’s ICE office, said the facility has endured over 100 consecutive nights of violence, with Portland police largely absent following guidance from the mayor and city council.
"I just, I can’t figure out what’s happening at the FDA. I’m totally baffled by it," Wamsley was quoted as saying by Fox News. "It’s frustrating for us to watch people be attacked on the street and know that we don’t have the authority to be able to really step in unless there’s some nexus to federal law."
Wamsley stated that the Portland Police Department has been slow, or at times completely absent, in responding due to city policy. She noted that assaults have occurred both outside and across the street from the facility, but police often arrive too late or fail to show up entirely.
"That is not the stance they would take six blocks from here, but it is the stance they take with us because of guidance from the mayor and city council," she said.
She said the nightly protests have escalated beyond chants and signs, with bottle rockets hitting the ICE building, rocks smashing windows, lasers aimed at officers’ eyes, and barricades obstructing vehicles.
Wamsley said that protesters have trailed ICE employees to their homes and doxxed at least six staff members.
"Later, towards the evening and around dark, there are a lot of folks that come up dressed in all black," Wamsley said. "They are here to wreak havoc. They’ll block our cars, throw paint, damage property and even try to follow our folks home."
She emphasized that ICE employees are committed to enforcing longstanding US immigration laws and will continue performing their duties as they have always done, despite the unrest.\
Portland remains a focal point of unrest, with nightly clashes occurring around the ICE facility.
Trump announced the deployment of 200 National Guard troops to assist immigration authorities last month. He stated that the deployed troops would protect federal immigration facilities from "domestic terrorists" and authorized them to use "full force, if necessary,” as reported by Reuters.
Cammila Wamsley, director of Portland’s ICE office, said the facility has endured over 100 consecutive nights of violence, with Portland police largely absent following guidance from the mayor and city council.
"I just, I can’t figure out what’s happening at the FDA. I’m totally baffled by it," Wamsley was quoted as saying by Fox News. "It’s frustrating for us to watch people be attacked on the street and know that we don’t have the authority to be able to really step in unless there’s some nexus to federal law."
Wamsley stated that the Portland Police Department has been slow, or at times completely absent, in responding due to city policy. She noted that assaults have occurred both outside and across the street from the facility, but police often arrive too late or fail to show up entirely.
"That is not the stance they would take six blocks from here, but it is the stance they take with us because of guidance from the mayor and city council," she said.
She said the nightly protests have escalated beyond chants and signs, with bottle rockets hitting the ICE building, rocks smashing windows, lasers aimed at officers’ eyes, and barricades obstructing vehicles.
Wamsley said that protesters have trailed ICE employees to their homes and doxxed at least six staff members.
"Later, towards the evening and around dark, there are a lot of folks that come up dressed in all black," Wamsley said. "They are here to wreak havoc. They’ll block our cars, throw paint, damage property and even try to follow our folks home."
She emphasized that ICE employees are committed to enforcing longstanding US immigration laws and will continue performing their duties as they have always done, despite the unrest.\
Portland remains a focal point of unrest, with nightly clashes occurring around the ICE facility.
Trump announced the deployment of 200 National Guard troops to assist immigration authorities last month. He stated that the deployed troops would protect federal immigration facilities from "domestic terrorists" and authorized them to use "full force, if necessary,” as reported by Reuters.
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