Portland Mayor Demands ICE Leave City After Federal Agents Gas Protesters

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

Feb. 1, 2026 at 5:31pm

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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 peaceful protesters, including young children, outside an ICE facility during a weekend demonstration. The mayor condemned the federal agents' use of violence and the "trampling of the Constitution", saying they have "lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame."

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 government's actions highlights the growing tensions between local and federal authorities over the policing of protests.

The details

Witnesses said federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets as thousands of marchers arrived at the South Waterfront ICE facility on Saturday. The mayor said the daytime demonstration was peaceful, with the "vast majority" of those present violating no laws and posing no danger to the agents. The Portland Fire Bureau sent paramedics to treat people at the scene, but police made no arrests.

  • The protest took place on Saturday, January 31, 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 launched tear gas and other projectiles at the protesters outside their facility in Portland.

Erin Hoover Barnett

A former OregonLive reporter who was present at the protest and described the scene as "terrifying" as agents used what looked like "rocket launchers" to douse the crowd with gas.

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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

What’s next

The mayor said Portland would be imposing a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents, and that the federal government "must, and will, be held accountable" for its actions.

The takeaway

The incident in Portland highlights the ongoing tensions between local authorities and the federal government over the policing of protests, particularly those related to immigration policies. The mayor's strong condemnation of the federal agents' use of force against peaceful demonstrators, including children, underscores the growing divide between local and national priorities when it comes to managing civil unrest.