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Dear friends,
Just one day after the horrific violence in Minnesota, our community here in Portland was witness to a moment of fear, confusion, and heartbreak. Earlier this afternoon, two people were shot and injured by federal agents in the Hazelwood neighborhood. [Link to Full Statement]
There is a great deal we do not yet. What we do know is that violence in our community is devastating. These are not statistics. These are human beings.
Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents. When the administration talks about using “full force,” we are seeing what that means on our streets. The consequences are not abstract. They are felt in hospital rooms, in living rooms, in the quiet moments when families try to make sense of what happened.
We are calling on ICE to halt all operations in Portland until a full and independent investigation can take place. Our community deserves answers. Our community deserves accountability. Most of all, our community deserves peace.
I spoke with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey yesterday. We shared not just our concerns, but our grief for the families who are suffering, and grief for the recklessness of our federal government. The administration is trying to divide us. To pit communities against each other. To make us fear one another.
Portland, this is a moment to stand together and remember that our strength has always come from community, compassion, and solidarity. On Wednesday, Governor Walz made an appeal to all of us. Today, I want to say clearly: we stand with Minneapolis. We stand with Chicago. We stand with Los Angeles. We stand with every community that is hurting, every family that is afraid, every person who feels unseen or unheard. ICE agents and their Homeland Security leadership must be fully investigated and held responsible for the violence inflicted on the American people: in Minnesota, in Portland, and across the nation.
The Department of Homeland Security claims values of service, integrity, honor, and vigilance. This is the moment to live those values. Not behind masks, not through intimidation, but through transparency, accountability, and humanity.
Thank you for all you do to make Portland the best city in the world, especially in difficult times.
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