Portland mayor reaffirms sanctuary policies after violent anti-ICE clash

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is reaffirming his city’s commitment to sanctuary policies in the wake of another night of violence outside a local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

Wilson, a Democrat, vowed that local police would not aid ICE and said he’s working with Portland police to determine a response to the violent Labor Day clashes outside the South Macadam Avenue facility, the latest in a series of ugly incidents at the site over the last few months as agitators push back against federal immigration enforcement.

Anti-ICE protesters were captured on video rolling out a guillotine and clashing with police before law enforcement fired munitions to disperse the crowd.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson addresses a crowd while holding a microphone at a public event, reinforcing his stance on sanctuary city policies. (Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

ANTI-ICE PORTLAND RIOTERS WITH GUILLOTINE CLASH WITH POLICE IN WAR-LIKE SCENES

“But we will not engage with the federal immigration enforcement that goes on,” Wilson told KOIN 6 News. “That is our sanctuary city goals; that is what the governor’s goals are. So you can rest assured we won’t be engaging with or working with ICE in any circumstances.”

The mayor outlined how his administration is coordinating with state and federal allies to manage potential clashes. 

“We are really working with everybody in the city, we’re working with our congressional delegates, we’re working on what we can do to protect our citizens responsibly, to protect Portlanders,” Wilson said. “We have tabletop exercises to determine what our next responses are to this overreach and overreaction.”

PORTLAND ANTI-ICE RIOT CRUSHED BY FEDERAL AGENTS 

Tabletop exercises are discussions in which participants work through scenarios to test emergency response plans, per KOIN 6 News. The Portland Police Bureau said it was not involved in what happened outside the ICE facility on Labor Day night, per the outlet.

In July, Portland’s progressive-leaning city council said it was exploring ways to expel ICE from the detention facility that has become a flashpoint for violent clashes between agents and radical agitators.

A flag is seen being burned by the protesters outside the Portland ICE facility on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (X/@KatieDaviscourt)

Chaotic scenes have been unfolding outside the facility since June, including in one incident where a large group of anti-ICE protesters tried to block law enforcement vehicles from entering and exiting the facility, forcing agents to deploy rubber bullets, tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the crowd.

Footage that emerged from overnight Monday purportedly showed demonstrators burning a flag before law enforcement fired munitions to disperse the crowd.

Video then showed police clearing out the area, with the protesters yelling through loudspeakers, “You are sad excuses for human beings!” and “You guys are violent, cowardly pigs!” 

At least two protesters were seen wielding riot shields to protect against the munitions being fired at them. It is unclear if any arrests were made during the incident.  

Police are seen dispersing the crowd outside the Portland ICE facility on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (X/@KatieDaviscourt)

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“We are seeing historic threats against ICE officers, but that is not going to deter us,” ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan told “Fox & Friends” Tuesday when asked about the clashes. 

“We will continue to go after these criminals, these alien criminals that have wreaked havoc on the American people over the last four years, and we will continue to support our ICE officers, making sure they have the tools and resources they need to be successful. We will work with them to protect their family, whether it’s from doxxing or the threats that we see against them on a daily basis,” Sheahan added. 

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.