The mayor of Portland decided not to follow the federal directive to set up a boundary around an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building by choosing to remove the police tape instead.
On Wednesday, Mayor Keith Wilson, a Democrat, had the yellow police tape taken down from the ICE facility in South Portland. He was worried that maintaining the temporary barrier would provoke further protester activity, according to a report by The Oregonian on Saturday.
This action was prompted after discussions within the city council, which expressed concerns to Wilson about the ongoing protests occurring nightly against the disputed agency.
‘We want to listen to the council, we want to listen to community members,’ he told the outlet.
Mayor Wilson stated, ‘The last thing we want is having hundreds more people in that area. It poses a risk of injury to anyone present there.’
Wilson had originally planned to keep the area blocked off to help protect citizens after ICE agents began using force against protesters.
‘The federal government, they don’t share the same concerns for Portlanders that we do,’ Wilson told the outlet.
However, the Democrat has not fully ruled out bringing back the perimeter in the future if need be.
On that Wednesday, Mayor Wilson, aged 62, had the yellow police tape removed from the South Portland ICE facility due to apprehensions that its presence would only escalate protestor engagement.
Wilson met Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, and other ICE agents on Tuesday
The city council raised issues to Wilson regarding the demonstrators, who have been persistently gathering every night to challenge the controversial agency.
Wilson met Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, and other ICE agents on Tuesday in a closed-door meeting, where the ‘ICE barbie’ reportedly demanded a permanent perimeter be set up around the facility that would keep protesters away.
Noem also demanded ‘free speech zones’ be set up in the city, which would confine the objectors to certain locations. Those caught outside of those zones would be arrested and charged.
The Department of Homeland Security also reported demanded that Portland Police ‘prioritize’ calls from the facility when requesting assistance for ‘threats to federal property or persons,’ a letter signed by Oregon US Attorney Scott Bradford.
Wilson said in a return letter that the liberal city has been ‘peacefully facilitating free speech throughout the city.’
‘We continue to ask that your federal law enforcement officers raise their operational and legal standards in terms of use of force and munitions, officer identification, and body-worn cameras,’ he wrote.
‘The actions of certain officers continue to be deeply disturbing to our community, and the lack of accountability and transparency for what appears to be unconstitutional behavior against individuals expressing their rights will only serve to deepen the divide between this facility and our community.’
Only a few dozen protesters are usually seen outside the site per night.
Federal helicopters have been seen flying around the facility for the last week and a half, KPTV reported.
‘Having hundreds of more people down there is the last thing we want. We don’t want people down in that area right now because they are at risk of getting hurt,’ Wilson said
Protesters outfits have gotten more elaborate over the past few days
The loud noise and the presence of the choppers has led to a state of concern from residents, who are annoyed by the sound.
‘It changes how people sleep and view the area,’ resident, Jesse Warden, told the outlet. ‘The helicopters are here, so it’s not even that much of a deterrent, it’s just announcing: “Hey, we’re wasting your money.”
In recent days, Portland protesters have showed up outside the facility wearing Halloween costumes, including a wizard, a tiger, and a banana.
ICE agents have been seen in tactical gear with guns on the rooftop of the facility.
President Donald Trump called Portland a ‘war-ravaged’ city under siege by Antifa terrorists while announcing he planned on sending the National Guard to the city.
However, US District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, made the ruling after the city and the state sued the federal government, temporarily blocking the politician from sending in troops.
It’s a major blow to Trump. The temporary restraining order expires in 14 days on October 18, Immergut wrote in her order.
The Department of Defense has been ready to federalize 200 members of Oregon’s National Guard for the next 60 days to protect the ICE facility, which has been a site for protests throughout the summer and into the fall.
Noem demanded ‘free speech zones’ be set up in the city, which would confine the objectors to certain locations
ICE agents sit on the roof of the facility in tactical gear with guns
Federal helicopters have been seen flying around the facility for the last week and a half
Last Saturday, about 400 people participating in a ‘No National Guard in Portland’ rally marched from Elizabeth Caruthers Park to the ICE facility.
As they marched, a helicopter continually followed them. And once they arrived at the facility, federal agents shot tear gas into the crowd and made six arrests.
