POLITICS

Portland Mayor Demands ICE Exit After Tear Gas

PUBLISHED Feb 1, 2026, 4:20 PM ET

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Media Bias Meter

Sources: 8

Left 25%

Center 75%

Sources: 8

Portland, Ore. — Mayor Keith Wilson demanded that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave the city after federal agents used tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets on a crowd of demonstrators outside an ICE facility on Saturday. Witnesses and local reporters said thousands marched and the crowd included children; one former reporter described parents fleeing and treating children affected by gas. The mayor called the daytime demonstration peaceful and urged ICE staff to resign, while local outlets reported use of flash-bang devices and munitions. Federal authorities have not issued a statement. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

By Michael Grant | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

Saturday: Demonstrators, including families, gather outside Portland's South Waterfront ICE facility.
Saturday: Federal agents deploy tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets; some outlets report flash-bang use.
Saturday: Witnesses and a former reporter describe parents and children being affected and fleeing.
Same weekend: Mayor Keith Wilson issues a public statement demanding ICE leave and urging resignations.
Following days: Multiple outlets republish AP reporting, local papers expand accounts, and public scrutiny increases.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 8
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 2
Neutral:: 6

Who Benefited

Local advocacy groups, civil-rights organizations and political figures pushing for scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement benefited from increased public attention and media coverage of the confrontation.

Who Impacted

Protest participants, families with children present and local community trust in federal-local law enforcement relations suffered immediate harm from chemical exposure and heightened tensions after the incident.

Media Bias