Portland Mayor Keith Wilson warned of a “sudden influx” of federal agents in Portland on Friday evening, a day after President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric promising federal intervention in the city.
“We did not ask for them to come,” Wilson said, calling the federal mobilization a distraction.
“This may be a show of force, but that’s all it is,” he said. “It’s just a big show. And after a big show, we know what happens. Everyone goes home. And that’s what I want to see happen here.”
Wilson was joined by other Oregon leaders who said they wanted to sound the alarm about the apparent increased federal presence at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility south of downtown Portland.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, who visited the ICE facility with other Democratic lawmakers Thursday, said it wasn’t clear what divisions of the federal government were descending on Portland. Meaning, agents could be coming from the Federal Protective Service, the FBI or ICE, he said.
But one thing was clear to him, he said. Trump wants to “induce a violent incident” in Portland.
”Let us not grant him that," he said, urging Portlanders to not “take the bait.”
“Our responsibility is to, yes, express our views,” he said, “but best done at a distance from these federal troops wherever they might be, and whatever they are doing, because their goal is to create an engagement, an engagement that will lead to conflict.”
U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter said Portlanders would rise above the Trump administration’s actions.
“The Portland we love will not be divided,” she said.
On social media, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden echoed the comments.
“Portland is a peaceful, vibrant city with no need for federal agents on our streets,“ he wrote. ”I urge Oregonians not to fall into Trump’s attempt to incite violence.”
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