Portland City Attorney Robert Taylor has issued a stern rebuke to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, accusing it of neglecting its duty to uphold constitutional rights amid federal responses to local protests.
In a pointed letter released on Monday, Taylor expressed concerns that the federal government is engaging in unconstitutional uses of force, violating both the Fourth and First Amendments, against demonstrators exercising their rights peacefully.
He highlights a worrying trend where the federal government appears to prioritize allegiance to a politically aligned president over adherence to the rule of law and constitutional protections.
Taylor’s letter was a direct response to a DOJ investigation announced on Friday, which centered on the Portland Police Bureau and the city’s treatment of right-wing media figures during protests outside the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.
In their investigation, U.S. civil rights attorneys suggested that the city’s law enforcement practices might reflect viewpoint discrimination.
Taylor echoed this sentiment, stating that it seems the federal government is engaging in prohibited viewpoint discrimination by selectively targeting demonstrators based on the content of their speech, while favoring those with whom they agree ideologically.
He pointed to instances where federal officials seemed to facilitate access to the ICE facility for social media influencers aligned with the Trump administration, contrasting this with their aggressive response to others documenting the actions taken against protesters.
In a troubling incident on Saturday, federal officers defending the ICE building reportedly fired tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bangs at protestors without apparent provocation.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed that left-wing protesters had ‘swarmed’ the facility, necessitating the use of force to clear the driveway for government vehicles.
However, OPB reporters did not witness any protesters on ICE property, noting incidences where individuals were struck with pepper balls for stepping off the public sidewalk into the driveway.
The department reported that 17 people were arrested during the event on charges including trespassing and assaulting law enforcement.
The DOJ investigation also encompasses the city’s enforcement of land use laws potentially threatening ICE’s operations in South Portland. Taylor argued that sanctioning the city for these incidents would be inappropriate and merely a political maneuver.
He criticized the federal government for allegedly abusing the ongoing settlement agreement between Portland police and the DOJ, which outlines the treatment of individuals with mental illnesses.
This discourse evokes past allegations made in 2021, when Portland documented over 6,000 instances of police force against racial justice protesters in 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonas Geissler had raised concerns at that time, noting that the police response might be unconstitutional and merit DOJ intervention.
Interestingly, Geissler is among the U.S. attorneys now leading the new investigation into Portland.
In a significant turn of events, Taylor’s letter was drafted shortly after a federal judge temporarily halted National Guard deployments from any state to Portland for at least two weeks, a ruling that the Trump administration swiftly appealed.
The DOJ has yet to respond to OPB’s request for comment regarding Taylor’s letter.
In closing, Taylor made a heartfelt appeal to the DOJ, urging them not to fail Portland or the broader American public.
He implored the Civil Rights Division to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law and the constitutional protections available to all citizens, including those whose political views diverge from those of the federal administration.
image source from：opb
