The mayor of Portland, Oregon has reversed course in his hands-off stance toward the city's large #OccupyIce protest, the Oregonian reports.
The protest has effectively shut-down the city's Immigration and Customs Enforcement office as upwards of 200 people have slept in tents on the grounds and blocked the entrance.
Mayor Ted Wheeler had voiced support in the wake of the Trump administration's decision to take children away from their parents and lock them up in separate facilities, saying that he "did not want" Portland police to "be engaged or sucked into" the conflict.
I drove by the demonstration yesterday, it seemed to be very peaceful and I was pleased to see that. I want to be v… https://t.co/KUjJuxJ2LY— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@Mayor Ted Wheeler) 1529527009.0
Many of the children are still locked up away from their parents, but Wheeler has lost patience and now says he will ask the police to sweep the protest. Wheeler cited the fact that right-wing agitators have targeted the camps and he's worried it could be an explosive situation.
"We're concerned about that kind of activity bleeding over to more concerning situations," Wheeler said. "It's time to move onto the second phrase of this -- to a more sustainable front that focuses on immigration policy over the next months and years."
