Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said federal law enforcement officers in Portland, Oregon, will not stand down as requested by local leaders.
He told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday that they will continue their mission to protect the federal courthouse amid protests.
“Earlier this week, I called not only the mayor, but the governor. I offered DHS support to help them locally address the situation that’s going on in Portland, and their only response was ‘please pack up and go home.’ That’s just not going to happen on my watch,” Wolf said.
He added that it is time for authorities to “take a stand.”
Portland’s mayor, Ted Wheeler, said on Tuesday that he told Wolf about the tactics used by federal law enforcement.
“I told the Acting Secretary that my biggest immediate concern is the violence federal officers brought to our streets in recent days, and the life-threatening tactics his agents use. We do not need or want their help,” the Democrat tweeted. “The best thing they can do is stay inside their building, or leave Portland altogether. Our goal is to end these violent demonstrations quickly and safely. And in the meantime, I asked him to clean up the graffiti on local federal facilities.”
Wolf told Hannity that “violent anarchists” regularly assemble at the same times every night and vandalized areas around a federal courthouse, requiring one facility to apply 47 coats of paint after protesters sprayed graffiti on walls.
“Again, I ask the mayor, and I ask others, what do you think that’s going to occur? We are going to have a courthouse, we are going to have federal facilities overrun by these violent anarchists. What I’m asking all state and local leaders here in Portland, in Oregon, is come out specifically and publicly condemn these violent anarchists, because otherwise, you’re creating an environment, you are fostering an environment that continues to breed this type of lawlessness,” Wolf said, alluding to an incident where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility was surrounded by protesters.
Law enforcement officials from Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol Tactical Unit and the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group were sent to the city to protect federal property following calls from some activists to tear down statues of historical figures. They appeared to be wearing patches on their arms, identifying them as federal officers, but some protesters claimed they were pulling protesters off the streets and into unmarked vehicles.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, it isn’t clear whether all the people getting detained had committed crimes.
Wolf, who traveled to the city to meet with federal law enforcement officials, sent out a series of tweets Friday morning with photographs of police officers dressed in camouflage and graffiti on walls.
“Our men and women in uniform are patriots. We will never surrender to violent extremists on my watch,” he wrote. “Here is what I saw in Portland yesterday. These valiant men and women have defended our institutions of justice against violent anarchists for 48 straight days. We will prevail.”
