Tom Homan, the White House border czar, visited Portland this week as part of his tour of West Coast cities, which also included San Diego, Seattle, and Tacoma.
During his visit, Homan aimed to connect with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and express support from President Donald Trump.
In a post on social media platform X, Homan stated, “This week I visited the sanctuary cities of San Diego, Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma to speak to the men and women of ICE and CBP and let them know that President Trump and I have their six.”
On Wednesday, Homan toured the ICE processing center in Portland, meeting with officers there before leaving the city.
Cody Bowman, a press officer for Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, clarified that the city and its police bureau did not coordinate Homan’s visit.
“The City of Portland and Portland Police Bureau did not have a role in coordinating the visit,” Bowman affirmed.
He further reminded the community that the Portland Police Bureau is not responsible for enforcing federal immigration law.
Homan’s visit comes amid ongoing discussions about the impact of sanctuary cities on federal immigration efforts.
In a previous interview, Homan expressed concerns about protests and threats faced by immigration officers, expressing his intention to visit Portland for these discussions.
In his social media comments, he expressed disapproval of crimes committed by individuals residing in the U.S. without legal authorization.
He criticized sanctuary cities and their leaders for not collaborating with federal immigration authorities, adding that the Trump administration is prioritizing ICE enforcement actions in those areas.
“What is wrong with state and local leaders when they refuse to work with federal law enforcement to remove dangerous people from their streets, and even better, from this country???” Homan wrote.
In response to Homan’s remarks, Mayor Wilson reaffirmed Portland’s status as a sanctuary city, while acknowledging that ICE operations are permissible in the area.
He stated, however, that legality should not be confused 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 said in a statement.
He added, “We are disgusted by the callous inhumanity and rhetoric displayed by ICE leadership.”
Wilson further characterized the actions of federal officers, particularly under Homan’s leadership, as perpetuating fear and oppression.
Oregon has maintained one of the oldest sanctuary laws in the nation, enacted in 1987.
This law prohibits the use of local and state resources for the enforcement of federal immigration policy.
Since its inception, the law has been updated and strengthened in response to various challenges, including an overwhelming rejection of a repeal attempt by voters.
Homan’s visit coincides with renewed pressure from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has warned sanctuary jurisdictions, including those in Oregon and Washington, that they could lose federal funding or face penalties for failing to cooperate with immigration enforcement.
Political leaders in both states responded by affirming their commitment to sanctuary laws and signaled that they would not relent under federal pressure.
Earlier this year, Portland and several other cities took legal action against the Trump administration, pushing back against threats to withhold federal funding based on sanctuary status.
Moreover, on the eve of Homan’s visit, tensions were heightened when federal officers closed roads surrounding the Portland ICE facility after a woman parked her car to block the entrance.
ICE stated that the vehicle was abandoned quickly, prompting security to engage an explosive ordinance disposal team to ensure safety.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported during this incident, and the vehicle was eventually towed.
image source from：opb
