Secretary Noem visits Portland ICE facility, meets Oregon governor amid protests

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday visited an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland, Oregon, and met with the state's governor amid a wave of anti-ICE protests.

Protests in Portland have raged for the past several months over the Trump administration's push to deport illegal migrants who have committed serious and violent crimes. The city has long been a focal point for violent left-wing rioters and attracted considerable attention during the George Floyd riots in 2020, with members of Antifa attacking a federal courthouse.

Portland officials said they were not notified of Noem's visit until the day of her arrival. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she met with the secretary upon her landing in Portland.

“I am not a pushover. We had a very direct conversation, cordial,” the governor told Oregon Public Broadcasting. “She’s going to be meeting with local law enforcement later today, hearing from them about the efforts they have made to maintain calm.”

Portland police said they will give Noem the same security assistance as other visiting dignitaries. 

Kotek said she asked Noem to urge her federal officers to follow state guidelines on the use of tear gas and other crowd control tactics and weapons regarding the protests. The guidelines include limiting the use of tear gas in residential areas where there's a risk that residents who are not engaged in the protests could be injured. 

Noem told the outlet that she is visiting the ICE facility in southern Portland to “secure partnerships that will keep our officers safe."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.