Federal officers use tear gas to break up ICE protest in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal agents in Portland used tear gas to break up a demonstration honoring those who have died in custody of federal immigration officials.

Demonstrators arrived at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building at about 9 p.m. Saturday.

 Department of Homeland Security officers first responded as protesters tried to tie Mylar balloons to a gate outside the building, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

DHS officers issued warnings to stay off the property and out of the street.

As confrontations escalated, federal officers used smoke, an irritant and non-lethal munitions to break up the crowd while demonstrators threw playground balls or rocks at officers in several exchanges throughout the night, officials said.

Federal officers detained several people, but it was unclear how many.

The demonstration was among the near-nightly protests calling for criminal justice reform that began in late May after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.