Protests Continue Outside ICE Building in Portland Amid President Trump's Threats

Sat Sep 13 2025 05:29:46 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Ongoing protests in Portland draw mixed reactions from residents, officials, and the federal government, with President Trump threatening to intervene. The demonstrations aim to highlight opposition to ICE policies, though they have also drawn concerns from nearby residents affected by noise and safety issues.

Protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Portland have persisted since July, attracting significant attention, including remarks from President Trump about potential military intervention. While the demonstrations echo earlier unrest in the city, they have been comparatively peaceful. Local politicians emphasize the importance of free expression amidst growing concerns from nearby residents regarding noise and safety.

Portland, Ore. – As protests continue outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Portland, the discourse surrounding public dissent and government response deepens. Demonstrators, including local activist Deidra Watts, have been assembling nightly since July, donning protective gear such as gas masks, highlighting ongoing frustrations with ICE's policies.

A blue line marked across the property's driveway indicates GOVERNMENT PROPERTY DO NOT BLOCK, yet that has not deterred a determined crowd. Overhead, officers equipped with crowd-control measures monitor the scene, occasionally deploying pepper balls to disperse protesters gathered too closely. Fortunately, incidents of injury remain absent, despite tensions running high, especially during nighttime demonstrations.

While these protests are a far cry from the significant unrest witnessed in 2020 following George Floyd's murder, they still provoke varied responses. Urban tensions intensified as they drew the attention of President Trump, who recently referred to life in Portland as akin to “living in hell.” He’s hinted that he may consider the deployment of federal troops to restore order, similar to actions he took against crime in cities like Chicago and Baltimore earlier this summer.

“There’s a propaganda campaign to make it look like Portland is a hellscape,” countered Casey Leger, a local resident who spends time near the ICE building to monitor activities. He noted the city's recent crime statistics, which reveal a 51% decrease in homicides this year compared to last, undermining claims of increased lawlessness.

Protest organizers assert their right to challenge ICE, deeming its actions as oppressive and cruel. Watts articulated the need for persistent resistance, stating, “In the face of that, there has to be people who will stand up and make it known that that’s not gonna fly.” The agency has not publicly responded to the ongoing protests.

Local government officials, including Portland’s Mayor Keith Wilson, have expressed skepticism regarding the need for federal intervention, emphasizing the necessity to protect free expression while addressing isolated incidents of violence and property damage.

Nonetheless, the demonstrations disrupt nearby residents, prompting a charter school to relocate due to safety concerns associated with crowd-control measures. One resident voiced grievances over the noise disturbances, resulting in court disputes. Protests have continued with various props, including a prop guillotine, intensifying the militant aesthetic that the Department of Homeland Security criticized as “unhinged behavior.”

As both sides of the argument remain entrenched, local coffee shop owner Chris Johnson lamented, “I think people are very, very opinionated on either side of it. It just creates a divide, which is unfortunate.” The ongoing protests embody a snapshot of broader national tensions regarding immigration policy and community response, provoking dialogue on what free expression entails in the current socio-political climate.