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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Portland police 'refused to respond to TWO 911 calls from ICE employees inside their offices while protests against Trump's immigration policy raged outside' Union representing ICE agents sent letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler Wheeler didn't allow Portland police to come to ICE's aid during Occupy protest Protests were launched in response to Trump's separation of migrant families A union representing agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement is accusing Portland, Oregon’s mayor of ordering his police force to deny help while they were faced with violent demonstrators occupying their offices. Portland police have been accused of refusing to respond to at least two 911 calls from employees in the ICE offices in the city. The accusation was reported by The Daily Caller. DailyMail.com has reached out to the Portland Police Bureau seeking comment. In this June 28, 2018, file photo, Department of Homeland Security officers take action to reopen Portland's Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Portland, Oregon A union representing ICE agents is accusing Portland, Oregon’s mayor of ordering his police force to deny help while they were faced with violent demonstrators occupying their offices. A protest barricade is set up above outside ICE offices in Portland on June 25 Authorities are seen above clearing the protest encampment at the Southwest Portland offices of ICE last week Video playing bottom right... Sean Riddell, a lawyer for the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, wrote a letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler demanding to meet over what he perceives to be the city police’s lax policies. On June 17, a large group of people identifying itself as Occupy ICE PDX began a protest in front of the Southwest Portland ICE holding facility. The demonstrations were a response to the Trump administration’s policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the southern border. The protesters set up camp in mid-June and stayed around the clock for nearly 40 days. Sean Riddell, a lawyer for the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, wrote a letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler (above) demanding to meet over what he perceives to be the city police’s lax policies On the day that the facility was shut down, Wheeler, who in addition to his duties as mayor is also the police commissioner, said he would not involve his bureau. ‘I want to be very clear that I do not want the Portland police to be engaged or sucked into a conflict, particularly from a federal agency that I believe is on the wrong track,’ he wrote. ‘If they are looking for a bailout from this mayor, they are looking in the wrong place.’ Riddell accused Wheeler of creating ‘a zone of terror and lawlessness’ that is putting ICE employees at risk. The lawyer threatened to take Wheeler to court. ‘The Council and I assert that your current policy forbidding Portland law enforcement agencies from assisting employees of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency ("ICE") who request law enforcement assistance while at or away from work is a violation of the United States Constitution's Equal Protection Clause,’ Riddell wrote. The protests grew in intensity to the point where the ICE office was shut down for two weeks due to concerns over the safety of employees. On the day that the facility was shut down, Wheeler said he would not involve his police department in the dispute Riddell accused the mayor of violating the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens equal protection of the law. ‘Your policy of not providing police services to employees of ICE creates a class of people based upon their source of income,’ the letter read. Riddell acknowledged that Wheeler was opposed to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. ‘We fail to see why targeting the employees of ICE and leaving them vulnerable to violence, harassment and even death furthers a legitimate government interest,’ he wrote. Wheeler, a Trump critic in a state that instituted the first statewide sanctuary protections for immigrants in the country illegally, said in a series of tweets at the start of the protest that ICE would not get help from city officers if the agency wants to evict protesters. The mayor's office told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Wheeler's legal counsel was reviewing the letter and had no further comment. Wheeler's chief of staff, Michael Cox, did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press. The mayor backtracked to a degree as the occupation stretched from days to weeks to more than a month. On July 23, he warned protesters to disband before they were removed by police. The occupation ended peacefully the following day. Portland is no stranger to protests, especially following Trump's election, and police often move quickly to disperse clashes between rowdy and violent groups. Videos of skirmishes between right-wing activists and self-described anti-fascists drew national attention last month. Police made four arrests June 3 in and around downtown parks, which have become gathering places for dissent in this liberal city already known for near-weekly protests. Another gathering of right-wing activists and a counterprotest are scheduled for Saturday. Poster Comment: AP had the story but US papers did not seem to bother publishing it. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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