The Trump administration is pushing on a claim by Oregon’s governor that federal officers are withdrawing from Portland’s riot zone starting tomorrow and instead said that forces “will not back down” until the state police get control of the nightly firebombing of the federal courthouse they are protecting.
Acting Homeland Secretary Chad Wolf said that he and Gov. Kate Brown have agreed to a deal that will put state police and local police both outside and inside the federal zone. If those police can end the nightly violence, then federal agents will begin to withdraw.
“The department will continue to maintain our current, augmented federal law enforcement personnel in Portland until we are assured that the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other federal properties will no longer be attacked and that the seat of justice in Portland will remain secure,” Wolf said in a statement.
After my discussions with VP Pence and others, the federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland. They have acted as an occupying force & brought violence. Starting tomorrow, all Customs and Border Protection & ICE officers will leave downtown Portland.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) July 29, 2020
But Brown, who gave some credit to Vice President Mike Pence in the negotiations, sought to describe it as a Trump cave-in. She said, “These federal officers have acted as an occupying force, refused accountability, and brought violence and strife to our community. Beginning Thursday, all Customs and Border Protection and ICE officers will leave downtown Portland, and shortly thereafter will begin going home.”
As I told the Governor yesterday, federal law enforcement will remain in Portland until the violent activity toward our federal facilities ends. We are not removing any law enforcement while our facilities and law enforcement remain under attack.
— Acting Secretary Chad Wolf (@DHS_Wolf) July 29, 2020
In his statement, Wolf seemed to reject any agreement for a quick pullout. He said, “President Trump and this administration have been consistent in our message throughout the violence in Portland: The violent criminal activity directed towards federal properties and law enforcement will not be tolerated, state and local leaders must step forward and police their communities, and the Department of Homeland Security will not back down from our legal duty to protect federal law enforcement officers and federal properties in the face of such criminal behavior.”
In a call with reporters, Wolf said that agents with the Federal Protective Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Patrol “will remain there until we see that the plan is working.”
He added, “We will continue to reevaluate our force posture” over the next few days and weeks.
— Acting Secretary Chad Wolf (@DHS_Wolf) July 29, 2020
He said that the state has offered “almost no or little help” for the past 60 days and is happy that it is now offering to join in ending the violence.
Pence’s spokesman, Devin O’Malley, also rejected the quickie withdrawal claim made by the governor.
Earlier this week @Mike_Pence informed Gov. Kate Brown that federal law enforcement will remain in Portland until violence directed toward them & the federal courthouse is brought to an end by state & local authorities. @VP was very clear that law & order must be restored in PDX. https://t.co/aTF7v6mbx4
— Devin O’Malley (@VPPressSec) July 29, 2020
The initial plan, he said, is to have state and local police stage outside the fence put up around the courthouse, where they will be tasked with ending the violent protests and stopping the nightly attacks on federal forces and the court. Several officers have been injured by fireworks, Molotov cocktails, and blinding lasers the fence.
He added that some of the state and local police will work with officials inside the fence.
Wolf also rapped comments by the governor on Twitter that portrayed federal agents as instigators of the violence.
“They have acted as an occupying force & brought violence,” she said in comments that seemed to threaten the new deal with DHS.
Wolf defended his agents and said it was those forces who suffered in the nightly clashes. He called the comment “insulting,” adding, “We will continue to debunk the myths out there that somehow we incited the violence.”
