As a city administrator, I have closely watched the growing conflict over President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard in Oregon. While I disagree with Governor Tina Kotek on almost every issue, I generally agreed with her that local law enforcement is sufficient to maintain order adjacent to ICE facilities in Oregon. I believed this deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally bars the military from law enforcement duties. I laughed at Stephen Colbert’s jokes on the matter (particular “All Vegan on the Western Brunch”).
Two hours at an ICE facility protest in Portland this weekend changed that. With just 3 Portland Police Bureau officers on site, the protest was generally peaceful at first. A crowd this small could easily be controlled by police. It was not. Early on, an ambulance attempted to leave the facility, and it took a scrum of several dozen ICE agents to push back the crowd so paramedics had enough room to rush their patient to the hospital. If anyone tried to block our City ambulance in Elgin as a political protest, we would exercise far less restraint than ICE displayed.
Police finally arrived en masse for a brief period after the streets were blocked and protestors on both sides were arrested, proving that the community could be kept safe if PPB was allowed to do their job. The Oregon State Constitution grants home rule to all cities, so to Mayor Keith Wilson, I say let PPB keep the peace. And I say to Governor Kotek, if Mayor Wilson holds back the PPB, deploy the Oregon State Police. Finally to President Trump, I say if Mayor Wilson and Governor Kotek decide to cower to the demands of anti-rule of law progressive donors, invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy the National Guard. The City of Roses needs decisive leadership to restore order now around the ICE facility or face further disruptions to local emergency services, residents, and businesses. Mr. President, send in the troops.
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