Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office has been at the center of continuous unrest, facing violent attacks for over 100 consecutive nights, officials confirmed. The disturbances reportedly involve a variety of aggressive actions, including bottle rockets fired at the building, rocks shattering windows, lasers aimed at officers’ eyes, and barricades obstructing entrances. These acts have created a dangerous environment for federal immigration employees working at the facility.
Nightly Assaults Disrupt Portland ICE Facility
Cammila Wamsley, director of Portland’s ICE office, said the situation has escalated far beyond peaceful protests. “Later, towards the evening and around dark, there are a lot of folks that come up dressed in all black,” Wamsley said. “They are here to wreak havoc. They’ll block our cars, throw paint, damage property, and even try to follow our folks home.”
According to Wamsley, the Portland Police Department has often been slow to respond, or sometimes completely absent. City leaders, including the mayor and city council, reportedly guide the police to provide limited support. Wamsley noted that people frequently assault others both outside and across the street from the ICE office, yet officers often arrive too late to intervene.
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“We get frustrated watching people attacked on the street and knowing that we cannot really step in unless there’s some nexus to federal law,” Wamsley said. She added that this response differs from how police act in other parts of Portland, highlighting the political factors influencing law enforcement near federal immigration facilities.
Threats and Harassment Extend Beyond the Federal Immigration Office
The violence has not been confined to the ICE office itself. Wamsley said that protesters have followed ICE employees to their homes and publicly doxxed at least six staff members. The harassment has reportedly included personal intimidation, property damage, and direct threats of physical harm, creating an ongoing risk for federal immigration personnel both at work and at home.
“The nightly protests have escalated beyond chants and signs,” Wamsley noted. Barricades have been placed to block entrances, paint has been thrown onto government vehicles, and attempts have been made to intimidate officers outside working hours. Employees said the environment has created constant tension, making even routine federal immigration operations difficult to carry out safely.
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Despite these threats, ICE employees remain committed to performing their duties, enforcing longstanding federal immigration laws, and ensuring operations at the Portland facility continue without interruption. Wamsley emphasized that the team’s dedication to federal immigration enforcement remains unwavering, even amid escalating hostility and personal risk.
Federal Response and National Guard Deployment to Support Federal Immigration
The ongoing unrest at Portland’s ICE office has drawn the attention of federal authorities. Last month, former President Donald Trump announced the deployment of 200 National Guard troops to assist immigration authorities in protecting federal facilities. According to Reuters, authorities authorized the troops to use “full force, if necessary” to safeguard federal employees and infrastructure from what they described as domestic threats.
Portland has become a central point of these clashes, and the persistent tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement continue to grow. Officials have noted that attackers often coordinate the violence, carrying out systematic assaults on the facility in the late evening. These attacks have not only disrupted daily operations but also put federal immigration personnel at increased risk of harm.
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The combination of repeated assaults, targeted harassment, and limited local police intervention underscores the unique challenges faced by federal immigration facilities in politically sensitive regions. ICE officials continue to monitor the situation closely, ensuring that federal immigration operations can proceed even amid nightly threats and attacks.
Immigration employees remain vigilant and committed to maintaining law and order while carrying out their responsibilities, despite ongoing and escalating risks.