Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, made a brief and relatively unnoticed visit to Portland on Wednesday morning.
Homan’s arrival came approximately a month after he expressed intentions to visit the city during a July interview with Fox Business, where he addressed the ongoing tensions surrounding sanctuary cities.
During the interview, Homan asserted, “I’m going to Portland,” emphasizing the federal government’s commitment to enforcement in cities that do not cooperate with immigration policies.
He stated that mayors of sanctuary cities were perpetuating violence, linking Portland to these comments amid a small protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Cody Bowman, a spokesperson for Portland, confirmed Homan’s visit, stating, “Immigrations & Customs Enforcement director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Tom Homan arrived in Portland on the morning of Wednesday, August 20th.”
Bowman noted that Homan met with personnel at the ICE facility on Macadam Avenue before departing shortly after.
On Thursday, Homan publicly announced that his trip included stops in Seattle, Tacoma, and San Diego as well, aiming to connect with immigration and border officials.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, Homan reinforced his support for the immigration enforcement agents, saying, “I want to let agents there know that President Trump and I have their six.”
Homan further remarked, “Sanctuary cities are only sanctuaries for criminals, PERIOD,” condemning any efforts to obstruct immigration enforcement as “shameful.”
Despite Homan’s rhetoric, there were no significant enforcement actions noted in Oregon during his visit.
Flight records indicated that a U.S. Customs and Border Protection plane landed in Portland early Wednesday morning and later departed for Seattle.
Portland city officials, including the Portland Police Bureau, were not involved in coordinating Homan’s visit, and state law prohibits local officials from assisting with federal immigration enforcement.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson addressed Homan’s visit by reaffirming the city’s commitment to its sanctuary status, while also acknowledging the federal government’s legal right to operate within the city.
He stated, “We cannot, however, confuse legality with morality. Our city is horrified and disturbed by images of masked men pulling our community members off the streets and out of their cars and homes at gunpoint.”
Wilson described the presence of armed federal officers as “chilling symbols of fear and oppression,” contrasting them with the ideals of freedom and opportunity that Portland cherishes.
A few days following Homan’s July remarks about Portland, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden extended an invitation for him to participate in a town hall meeting in Multnomah County to discuss the impacts of immigration policies on local communities.
However, a spokesperson for Wyden announced on Wednesday that Homan declined the invitation, as his office stated, “a town hall in Multnomah County would not work out for Homan.”
Protests against ICE in Portland, ongoing since early June, have led to several arrests, highlighting community tensions regarding immigration enforcement.
Last week, a Multnomah County judge ruled that Portland police are under no obligation to enforce noise ordinances related to the protest outside the ICE office, responding to a lawsuit from a local resident.
Homan’s brief visit, part of a broader focus on ramping up immigration arrests in sanctuary cities, underscores the contentious landscape surrounding immigration policy across the United States.
As local protests continue and federal officials assert their presence, the discourse surrounding sanctuary cities and immigration enforcement remains highly charged in communities like Portland.
image source from：oregonlive
