Portland Mayor Demands ICE Leave City After Agents Tear Gas Protesters

Thousands attended "ICE out" protest, including children, before federal agents deployed tear gas and other munitions.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 4:47pm

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The mayor of Portland, Oregon, has demanded that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leave the city after federal agents launched tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators, including young children, outside an ICE facility during a weekend protest that the mayor characterized as peaceful.

Why it matters

The incident highlights ongoing tensions between local officials and the federal government over immigration enforcement, with the mayor accusing ICE of violating the Constitution and vowing to hold the agency accountable. It also comes amid a broader debate over the use of force by federal agents against protesters in cities across the U.S.

The details

Thousands of people attended the "ICE out" protest on Saturday in South Portland, with demonstrators later moving to an ICE facility a few blocks away. Witnesses said agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets, including on parents trying to tend to children in strollers. The mayor condemned the use of force, saying the daytime demonstration was peaceful and that federal agents had "lost all legitimacy" through their "use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution."

  • The protest began near Elizabeth Caruthers Park on Saturday.
  • Tear gas and other munitions were deployed intermittently through the night as the group of protesters dwindled.

The players

Keith Wilson

The mayor of Portland, Oregon, who demanded that ICE leave the city and vowed to hold the federal government accountable.

Erin Hoover Barnett

A former OregonLive reporter who witnessed the protest and described the use of tear gas on the crowd, including parents and children.

Tina Kotek

The governor of Oregon, who condemned the presence of ICE in the state and the use of tear gas against families and peaceful demonstrators.

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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

“Trump's ICE has no place in Oregon. The use of tear gas against families, children, and peaceful demonstrators yesterday is a horrific abuse of authority that undermines public safety and violates constitutional rights. Federal agents must stand down and be held accountable.”

— Tina Kotek, Governor of Oregon

What’s next

The mayor said the city would be imposing a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between local officials and the federal government over immigration enforcement, with the mayor accusing ICE of violating the Constitution and vowing to hold the agency accountable. It also raises broader questions about the appropriate use of force by federal agents against protesters in cities across the U.S.