Portland Mayor Demands ICE Leave After Protest Turned Violent

Mon Feb 02 2026 18:19:26 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Portland's mayor condemns the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful demonstrators, including children, during a recent protest against immigration enforcement.

Following a weekend protest against U.S. ICE in Portland, Mayor Keith Wilson demanded that federal agents vacate the city after they used tear gas on demonstrators, including families with children. The mayor characterized the demonstration as largely peaceful and criticized the violent response from ICE. He called for accountability and announced that fees would be imposed on facilities using chemical agents. The protest was part of a larger trend against the Trump administration's immigration policies that have sparked nationwide outrage.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland's Mayor Keith Wilson has called for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave the city after federal agents violently confronted peaceful demonstrators outside an ICE facility. The protest, which took place over the weekend, included families and children who were caught in the chaos as agents discharged tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd.

Witnesses reported seeing federal agents escalate the situation, with one former OregonLive reporter describing the moment as 'terrifying' as parents struggled to protect their children from the barrage of non-lethal weapons. Erin Hoover Barnett recounted being among parents retreating in fear, unsure of how to find safety.

Mayor Wilson, in his statement, emphasized that the demonstrators were not posing any threat and were exercising their rights peacefully. “To be among parents frantically trying to tend to little children in strollers... was terrifying,” she expressed in an email.

Following the incident, Wilson condemned ICE's actions, declaring that they have lost their legitimacy through violence against the citizens they vowed to protect. He urged those involved with ICE to resign and called for the authorities at the facility to leave Portland.

“Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame,” he stated. Wilson pledged that the city would impose a fee on detention facilities that continue to use chemical agents against citizens.

The protests in Portland are part of a broader national movement against the Trump administration's immigration policies, which have faced significant backlash across several cities where similar clashes have occurred. Most recently, similar protests in Minneapolis resulted in tragic incidents involving federal agents.

President Trump responded via social media, suggesting that local law enforcement should handle the protests while also instructing federal agents to be vigilant in protecting government properties. Wilson called for accountability from the federal government, stressing that officials should reflect on their actions, particularly when children are involved in such confrontations.