When federal workers duty-bound to uphold the law were being harassed by violent protesters outside their offices in Portland, Oregon, they did what anyone would do and called the police. According to The Daily Caller, because these pleas for help were from members of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the police ignored them.
After Portland police didn’t respond to two 911 calls from the ICE office, the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council — a union that represents ICE employees — wrote a letter to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler demanding the police allow ICE to do their job.
“Your current policy forbidding Portland law enforcement agencies from assisting employees of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency who request law enforcement assistance while at or away from work is a violation of the United States Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause,” read the letter.
The letter said policy differences should not translate to targeting ICE officials.
“We understand that you have a difference of opinion with the current President of the United States, and some of his policies, but 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,” the union’s lawyer, Sean Riddell, said in the letter.
“Your policy has created a zone of terror and lawlessness,” he wrote. – READ MORE
[divider][/divider]U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Monday accused an Oregon mayor of violating the Constitution after emboldening “Abolish ICE” protesters by ordering the police to stand down and openly expressing support for their cause.
The accusations were outlined in a cease-and-desist letter sent to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, saying he actively encouraged the protesters and their cause, while making sure Portland’s police wouldn’t crack down on them, thus creating “a zone of terror and lawlessness,” the Washington Times reported.
“When the mayor gave the order that police would not support ICE employees trapped in the facility, he turned the lives of our employees over to an angry mob,” Chris Crane, president of the National ICE Council, the organization that sent the cease-and-desist letter, told the newspaper.
The letter demands Wheeler to make an apology and ensure the city’s police will protect all citizens in need, including those working for a federal agency. A letter advises that the city could be sued if the mayor’s response isn’t adequate.
“The mayor stated publicly that he supported the protests, which were supposed to be about protecting immigrant families. But what about the moms and dads that we had working in that building? What about their kids?” Crane continued. “These are questions that we’ll be expecting the mayor and city of Portland to be answering in the days to come.” – READ MORE
[give_form id=”79809″] [contentcards url=”https://www.westernjournal.com/agent-portland-police-ignored-911-calls-ice/” target=”_blank”]