Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem delivered a strong and direct warning on Tuesday to Portland Mayor Keith Wilson.
Noem stated that if local authorities did not begin collaborating more closely with federal law enforcement in and around the city, the federal government would sharply increase its security presence in Portland.
Her remarks came amid growing friction between federal officials and the city’s leadership over handling ongoing protests, immigration enforcement activities, and safety measures near sensitive federal sites — particularly the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office.
Noem visited Portland, Oregon on Tuesday, stopping at the ICE facility in the South Waterfront district, a site that has been a focal point for numerous protests and law enforcement operations since mid‑2025.
The trip took place against a backdrop of legal and political disputes among Oregon state officials, Mayor Wilson, and federal authorities regarding the deployment of federal security resources in urban areas where city leaders have resisted full cooperation.
Later in a live interview on Fox News, Noem described her meeting with Mayor Wilson as “extremely disappointing,” claiming that local officials were failing to provide adequate security for federal facilities and personnel. She issued a stark warning: if cooperation did not improve, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would send a significantly larger number of federal officers to Portland.
According to Noem, the administration is prepared to deploy four times the current federal personnel to the city to ensure what she called “necessary security support.”
“We told him if he did not implement these security measures for our officers, we were going to increase federal resources substantially — sending four times the number of officers so the people of Portland could be protected,” Noem said, as reported in a transcript of the interview.
Earlier in the day, Noem visited a rooftop overlooking the ICE facility alongside federal agents, sharply criticizing Mayor Wilson for what she called a slow and cautious response to security concerns.
She argued that delays or hesitations in implementing protective measures could endanger both residents and law enforcement personnel.
“He’s going to have blood on his hands because he waited too long,” Noem said, labeling Wilson’s approach as overly cautious and insufficient to address what she described as threats to law enforcement and the community at large.
“He’s too worried about political fallout to take decisive action that could keep his city safe,” she added.
Noem also repeated claims used by some federal officials, describing unrest near the ICE facility as being driven by “professional terrorists.” This language mirrors terms used by federal leaders to characterize organized groups targeting federal property and personnel in cities across the country.
Local officials, however, have pushed back against this framing, saying most demonstrations at the ICE facility and surrounding areas have been largely peaceful. They argue that federal law enforcement tactics have at times contributed to heightened tensions.
At the time of Noem’s statements, Mayor Wilson did not speak on camera. Instead, his office issued a written statement describing the meeting as “cordial but deeply concerning.”
Wilson emphasized that Portland has consistently handled public safety responsibly, disputing portrayals of disorder or chaos promoted by some federal authorities.
