Portland leaders seek dialogue, while Kristi Noem slams local elected officials as ‘failures’

Portland Police Chief Bob Day met twice Tuesday with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in what he called an effort to build a relationship with federal partners, even though the two share different views on protests over the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to meet with the secretary today,” Day told reporters shortly after 5 p.m. “and I believe that communication is the first step in resolving our differences.”

Noem’s visit comes as the city and federal government battle over President Donald Trump’s plans to deploy troops to Portland. The president said last week that he was mobilizing the National Guard at Noem’s request.

Around noon, when Noem arrived at the Ice Building in South Portland, about 20 people — most of them journalists — crowded behind police tape as Portland officers stretched across several intersections to block the entrance to the building for her visit.

Noem briefly appeared on the roof around 1:30 p.m. to survey the area, and a handful of protesters heckled her.

In an appearance on Fox News, Noem called local elected officials “Pansies” and said she wanted more security in the ICE building.

She told host Jesse Watters: “We wanted their streets covered to get over it and not let anarchists run this town anymore. That we ask them to continue to support us as we have asked rather than what they have done the last few months, which is just leaving our police officers hanging out to dry.”

The ICE facility has been the site of protests since early June, but they have been small compared to the social justice protests that have gripped the city in 2020. They intensified in the days after Trump’s troop announcement.

Since June, federal and local police have arrested about 70 people outside the building on allegations ranging from assaulting officers and destroying government property to harassment and disorderly conduct. Federal police also deployed chemical munitions, including pepper spray, smoke and tear gas, against protesters.

Noem met the day alongside Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell and Oregon State Police Superintendent Casey Codding. Day spoke with her again later that afternoon with Mayor Keith Wilson.

Morrisey O’Donnell said in a statement that the sheriff’s office supports and welcomes partnerships “with our federal agencies when these efforts complement our local public safety priorities, comply with Oregon law and are grounded in accountability and transparency.”

Wilson said the calm Noem witnessed Tuesday that “Portland continues to manage public safety professionally and responsibly, regardless of the claims of out-of-state social media influencers.”

He said the tactics used by federal agents at the establishment were troubling and likely unconstitutional and said, “We still don’t know what ‘full force’ against Portland means,” referring to Trump’s comments when he first authorized troops to be sent to Oregon.

“In the meantime, I will continue to demand that federal officers operating in our city adhere to the same high standards that we require of the Portland Police Bureau,” Wilson said. “We believe a constitutional federal government must be accountable to the community in terms of clear limits on the use of force, officer identification, limits on chemical munitions and worn cameras.”

It’s unclear how long NOEM plans to stay in Portland. Officials said she participated in immigration enforcement efforts in the area, but the police bureau had no involvement.

Noem also met Tuesday with Gov. Tina Kotek, who reiterated to her that “there is no insurrection in Oregon.”