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Federal immigration officials say their Portland, Oregon, facility has come under nightly attack, with little help from local police because of political directives from city leaders.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Cammila Wamsley, director of Portland’s ICE office, said the facility has faced violence for more than 100 consecutive nights, with Portland police largely absent under guidance from the mayor and city council.
“I just, I can’t figure out what’s happening at the FDA. I’m totally baffled by it,” Wamsley said, describing her frustration at seeing federal staff attacked outside the building while officers inside lack jurisdiction to intervene. “It’s frustrating for us to watch people be attacked on the street and know that we don’t have the authority to be able to really step in unless there’s some nexus to federal law.”
She said nightly protests have escalated beyond chants and signs, with bottle rockets striking the ICE building, rocks shattering windows, lasers targeting officers’ eyes and barricades blocking vehicles.
ANTI-ICE PORTLAND RIOTERS WITH GUILLOTINE CLASH WITH POLICE IN WAR-LIKE SCENES
People protest outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility as federal agents watch from the rooftop in Portland, Ore., Wednesday. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
Wamsley said protesters have followed ICE staff members home and doxxed at least six employees.
“Later, towards the evening and around dark, there are a lot of folks that come up dressed in all black,” she explained. “They are here to wreak havoc. They’ll block our cars, throw paint, damage property and even try to follow our folks home.”
She warned that when crowds swell quickly, the violence becomes more dangerous.
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A Federal Protective Service officer stands guard in front of demonstrators as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcementdraw hundreds to the ICE headquarters in south Portland, Ore., Sunday. (John Rudoff/Reuters)
“We’ve seen it before. The folks here can go from a crowd of 50 to a crowd of 1,000 in 30 minutes,” she explained. “Sometimes we only have 20 officers here. We would not be able to defend the building with that show of force.”
Wamsley said the Portland Police Department has been slow to respond — and sometimes doesn’t respond at all — because of city policy. She explained that assaults have occurred outside and across the street from the building, but police have either taken too long to arrive or not shown up at all.
“That is not the stance they would take six blocks from here, but it is the stance they take with us because of guidance from the mayor and city council,” Wamsley said.
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Anti-ICE protesters roll out a guillotine in front of the ICE field office in Portland, Ore. (X/@KatieDaviscourt)
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Portland mayor’s office and police department for comment.
Still, Wamsley said ICE staff remain committed to their mission despite the unrest.
“The people that work here are here to serve the American public,” she said. “They are here to enforce the same immigration laws we’ve had in place since the 1950s. Nothing has changed in that regard. We come to work every day. We do our job the way we have been doing it, and we’ll continue to do that.”
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Federal agents arrest a person outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Ore., in June. (X/@choeshow/@frontlinesTPUSA)
Todd Rignel, assistant special agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Oregon, said federal agencies are targeting Antifa-linked groups they blame for organizing much of the unrest.
“They’re not just facing HSI. They’re facing the FBI, ATF, DEA, IRS — all of these agencies,” he said. “That’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Portland remains a flashpoint for unrest with the ICE facility at the center of nightly confrontations.
President Donald Trump announced plans to send 200 National Guard troops to Portland to support immigration authorities. Officials said the troops would be stationed near protest areas.
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The warnings follow an attack on an ICE facility in Dallas Sept. 24. Authorities said two detainees were killed and another was hospitalized after a gunman opened fire before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot.
Investigators said shell casings recovered bore an “ANTI-ICE” message.
Fox News Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
