Portland Mayor Demands ICE Agents Leave City After Tear Gas Attack on Protesters

Federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets at a peaceful demonstration outside an ICE facility.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 3:31pm

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The mayor of Portland, Oregon has demanded that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents leave the city after they launched tear gas at a crowd of peaceful protesters, including young children, outside an ICE facility over the weekend. The mayor condemned the federal agents' use of violence and said they have "lost all legitimacy" through their actions.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between local officials and the federal government over immigration enforcement tactics, especially the use of force against protesters. It also comes amid a broader national debate over the role of federal agents in policing protests in cities across the country.

The details

According to witnesses, federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets as thousands of protesters arrived at the ICE facility on the South Waterfront in Portland on Saturday. The mayor said the demonstration was peaceful and the majority of those present posed no threat to the agents. The Portland Fire Bureau sent paramedics to treat people affected by the gas.

  • The protest took place on Saturday, February 1, 2026.

The players

Keith Wilson

The mayor of Portland, Oregon who condemned the federal agents' use of force against the protesters and demanded that ICE leave the city.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal agency whose agents deployed tear gas and other crowd control measures against the protesters outside their facility in Portland.

Erin Hoover Barnett

A former OregonLive reporter who witnessed the federal agents' use of force against the protesters, including young children.

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What they’re saying

“To be among parents frantically trying to tend to little children in strollers, people using motorized carts trying to navigate as the rest of us staggered in retreat, unsure of how to get to safety, was terrifying.”

— Erin Hoover Barnett, Former OregonLive reporter

“To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave. Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame.”

— Keith Wilson, Mayor of Portland, Oregon

What’s next

The mayor said Portland will be imposing a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents against protesters. The federal government will also face accountability for its actions, according to the mayor.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between local officials and the federal government over immigration enforcement tactics, especially the use of force against protesters. It highlights the broader national debate over the role of federal agents in policing protests in cities across the country.