Noem met with local law enforcement officials at the ICE facility, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made a high-profile visit to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland on Tuesday amid a legal battle over sending federal troops to the Oregon city.
Noem made a brief appearance on the roof of the facility, which has been the site of nightly demonstrations over the administration’s immigration crackdown for several months.
During her visit to the facility, she met with local law enforcement officials, including Portland Police Chief Bob Day, Oregon State Police Superintendent Casey Codding and Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Day thanked Noem for the time, saying during a press briefing Tuesday evening, „I believe that communication is the first step to resolving our differences.“
He said Noem is „obviously and understandably“ concerned for the safety of her staff, the building and „the ability for it to function.“
„We really tried to look for ways and solutions that might allow us to reduce some of the conflict and the dissidents down there in a way that’s primarily for the safety of all“, he said.
Day said he would like to potentially see more of a police presence at the location.
„We’ve been trying to coordinate that with the federal response, because we have differing policies and differing expectations around procedures, so we have to work more closely with them“, he said.
