Portland police Chief Bob Day met twice Tuesday with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in what he called an effort to build a relationship with federal partners, even as the two share differing views on protests around the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to have met with the secretary today,” Day told reporters shortly after 5 p.m. “And I believe that communication is the first step to resolving our differences.”
Noem’s visit comes as the city and the federal government battle over President Donald Trump’s plans to deploy troops to Portland. The president said last week he was mobilizing the National Guard at Noem’s request.
Around noon, when Noem arrived at the ICE building in South Portland, about 20 people — most of whom were reporters — milled behind the police tape that Portland officers stretched across multiple intersections to block the building’s entrance for her visit.
Noem briefly appeared on the roof around 1:30 p.m. to observe the area, and a handful of protesters heckled her.
In an appearance on Fox News, Noem called local elected officials “pansies” and said she wanted more security at the ICE building.
She told host Jesse Watters, “We wanted to have their streets opened up again and to not let the anarchists run this city anymore. That we would ask them to continue to back us up like we’ve been asking for rather than what they’ve been doing the last several months, which is just letting our officers hang out to dry.”
The ICE facility has been the site of protests since early June, but they have been small compared with social justice demonstrations that roiled the city in 2020. They intensified in the days after Trump’s troop announcement.
Since June, federal and local police have arrested about 70 people outside the building on allegations ranging from assaulting officers and destroying government property to harassment and disorderly conduct. Federal police have also deployed chemical munitions, including pepper spray, smoke and tear gas, against protesters.
Noem met with Day alongside Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell and Oregon State Police Superintendent Casey Codding. Day spoke with her again later in the afternoon with Mayor Keith Wilson.
Morrisey O’Donnell said in a statement the sheriff’s office supports and welcomes partnerships “with our federal agencies when those efforts complement our local public safety priorities, respect Oregon law and are predicated on accountability and transparency.”
Wilson said the calm Noem witnessed Tuesday showed that “Portland continues to manage public safety professionally and responsibly, irrespective of the claims of out-of-state social media influencers.”
He said the tactics used by federal agents at the facility were troubling and likely unconstitutional and said “we still do not know what ‘full force’ against Portland means,” referencing Trump’s comments when he first authorized sending troops to Oregon.
“In the meantime, I will continue to demand that federal officers operating in our city adhere to the same high standards we require of the Portland Police Bureau,” Wilson said. “We believe a constitutional federal government must be accountable to the community in terms of clear limits on use of force, officer identification, limits on chemical munitions, and body-worn cameras.”
It’s not clear how long Noem plans to stay in Portland. Officials said that she participated in immigration enforcement efforts in the area, but the Police Bureau had no involvement.
Noem also met Tuesday with Gov. Tina Kotek, who had reiterated to her that “there is no insurrection in Oregon.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
First Appeared on
Source link
