Portland Mayor Demands ICE Agents Leave City After Tear Gas Incident

Thousands of protesters, including children, were met with tear gas and rubber bullets outside an ICE facility in Portland.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 6:31pm

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

Why it matters

The incident in Portland is the latest in a series of clashes between federal agents and protesters in cities across the U.S. over the Trump administration's immigration policies. The mayor's strong rebuke of the federal agents' actions highlights the growing tensions between local and federal authorities over the policing of protests.

The details

On Saturday, thousands of protesters gathered outside an ICE facility in Portland's South Waterfront area for a peaceful demonstration. Witnesses said federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets against the crowd, which included young children. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson condemned the federal agents' use of force, saying the "vast majority" of protesters "violated no laws, made no threat and posed no danger" to the agents. Wilson demanded that ICE agents leave the city and said the federal government "must, and will, be held accountable" for the incident.

  • The protest took place on Saturday, February 1, 2026.
  • Federal agents also deployed tear gas against protesters in Eugene, Oregon on Friday, January 31, 2026.

The players

Keith Wilson

The mayor of Portland, Oregon, who condemned the federal agents' use of force against 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 protesters outside an ICE facility in Portland.

Erin Hoover Barnett

A former OregonLive reporter who witnessed the federal agents' use of force against protesters in Portland.

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What they’re saying

“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 looked like two guys with rocket launchers' started dousing the crowd with gas.”

— Erin Hoover Barnett, Former OregonLive reporter

What’s next

The Portland mayor said the city would be imposing a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents against protesters. The federal government's actions in Portland and other cities are likely to face continued scrutiny and potential legal challenges.

The takeaway

The clash between federal agents and protesters in Portland highlights the ongoing tensions over the Trump administration's immigration policies and the use of force against demonstrators. The mayor's strong rebuke of the federal agents' actions underscores the growing divide between local and federal authorities on these issues.