Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visits Portland’s ICE facility, meets with Governor Kotek at airport
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem traveled to Portland Tuesday to visit federal immigration facilities amid a continuing court fight over President Trump's decision to federalize National Guard troops and send them to Portland and other U.S. cities.
Asked by KGW's Kyle Ibosihi at the airport what she hopes to accomplish with her visit, Noem said, "We hope to have peace and secure some partnerships that will keep our officers safe and allow us to enforce federal law."
Noem also was asked if she's interested in speaking with Portlanders during her visit, for what a reporter called "an objective view of the situation here."
Noem replied: "We believe the president has the right to keep every single citizen safe in this country."
A short time later, Noem traveled to Portland's Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, the focus of protests and debate. Reporters and photographers joined her on the roof of the building as she surveyed the area.
Kotek said she met with Noem at the airport after her arrival. Later, the governor's office said Kotek had on Monday "personally reached out to Secretary Noem for a meeting when she heard through unofficial channels that the secretary may be visiting Portland."
After their meeting, the governor said: “Today, in my meeting with Secretary Noem, I reiterated again that there is no insurrection in Oregon. Twice now, a federal judge has affirmed that there is no legal basis for military deployment in Portland. I was clear that I have confidence in local law enforcement to meet the moment."
“I requested that Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents obey Oregon laws when they engage in federal operations," Kotek continued. "I reiterated that I continue to be focused on doing whatever I can to protect Oregonians from military intervention or harmful federal law enforcement tactics. Oregon is united against military policing in our communities.”
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday will hear the Trump administraton's appeal to overturn a federal judge's temporary restraining order and allow the deployment of Oregon, California and Texas National Guard troops to Portland, KGW reports.
Also, Kotek said Tuesday she has taken steps to demobilize the 200 Oregon Guard troops and send 200 from California back home.
Here is the governor's news release:
Governor Kotek Directs Northern Command to Send National Guard Members Home
Portland, OR – In a correspondence sent today, Governor Tina Kotek directed the United States Northern Command to take immediate action to demobilize Oregon’s 200 National Guard citizen-soldiers and return the 200 California National Guard members to California. The Oregon National Guard members are currently staged at Camp Rilea and the California National Guard is staged at Camp Withycombe.
“Judge Karin J. Immergut’s orders are a clear and forceful rebuttal to President Trump’s misuse of states’ National Guard. Thus, I am directing Northern Command to send Oregon’s citizen-soldiers home from Camp Rilea immediately,” Governor Kotek said. “Let’s remember that these Oregonians are our neighbors and friends, who have been unlawfully uprooted from their family and careers – they deserve better than this.”
On October 4, U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut ruled that the President lacks authority to federalize the Oregon National Guard under 10 U.S.C. §12406, which permits federalization of the Guard only in circumstances of invasion, rebellion, or when federal laws cannot otherwise be executed. None of those circumstances exist in Oregon.
On October 5, the judge issued a second order, reiterating that the President lacks the authority to deploy National Guard troops from any state to Oregon, given the facts on the ground.
