Federal immigration officials say Portland’s ICE facility has endured more than 100 straight nights of violent attacks while city police, under orders from local leaders, largely stand down.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Cammila Wamsley, director of Portland’s ICE office, described an escalating crisis. “It’s frustrating for us to watch people be attacked on the street and know that we don’t have the authority to really step in unless there’s some nexus to federal law,” Wamsley said.
According to Wamsley, protests have escalated far beyond chants. Bottle rockets have struck the ICE building, rocks have shattered windows, lasers have been aimed at officers’ eyes, and barricades have blocked federal vehicles. At least six employees have been doxxed, and some have been followed home.
“Later in the evening, a lot of folks come up dressed in all black. They’re here to wreak havoc. They’ll block our cars, throw paint, damage property, and even try to follow our folks home,” she explained. The situation worsens when crowds suddenly swell. “We’ve seen it before. The folks here can go from a crowd of 50 to a crowd of 1,000 in 30 minutes. Sometimes we only have 20 officers here. We would not be able to defend the building with that show of force.”
Wamsley faulted Portland’s leadership for discouraging police from protecting federal staff. “That is not the stance they would take six blocks from here, but it is the stance they take with us because of guidance from the mayor and city council,” she said, adding that assaults have occurred directly across the street while police failed to respond.
Despite the dangers, Wamsley said her staff will not abandon their mission. “The people that work here are here to serve the American public. They are here to enforce the same immigration laws we’ve had in place since the 1950s. We come to work every day. We do our job the way we have been doing it, and we’ll continue to do that.”
Todd Rignel, assistant special agent for Homeland Security Investigations in Oregon, said multiple federal agencies are now focused on dismantling Antifa-linked groups they believe are behind much of the unrest. “They’re not just facing HSI. They’re facing the FBI, ATF, DEA, IRS — all of these agencies. That’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Portland remains a flashpoint for nightly violence against immigration authorities. President Donald Trump has announced plans to deploy 200 National Guard troops to support ICE and secure protest areas.
The warnings also follow a deadly Sept. 24 attack on an ICE facility in Dallas, where a gunman opened fire, killing two detainees before taking his own life. Investigators said shell casings at the scene were marked with an “ANTI-ICE” message.
The post ICE Director Says Portland Facility Endures Nightly Violence With ‘Little Help From Local Police’ appeared first on Real News Now.
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