As some federal forces withdraw from Portland, more than 130 other federal officers will stay behind near the federal courthouse there to act as a “quick reaction force,” The Washington Post reported Friday, citing an internal government document.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) had signaled earlier this week that some federal officers would withdraw from the city after she reached an agreement with the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document obtained by the Post reportedly details the department’s next move.
According to the document, more than 150 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel are in the metropolitan area. That includes 110 Border Patrol agents, over 30 personnel from Special Response Teams and over a half-dozen air support specialists.
Members of the U.S. Marshals, which is under the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Protective Service, part of DHS, are not included in the figures, the Post noted.
The Hill has reached out to DHS for comment.
The Post reported that remaining DHS forces will stay in the city in case Oregon State Police need immediate backup in protecting Portland’s federal courthouse — the reason federal officers were deployed in the first place.
In late June, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, in conjunction with the DOJ, deployed federal agents to downtown Portland to protect the federal courthouse, which had sustained damage from ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.
The demonstrations have dominated the area around the federal building since George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody at the end of May, equating to more than 60 days of protesting.
While the agents were sent there to protect the courthouse, tensions soon heightened. For weeks, protesters and federal officers have clashed outside of the courthouse, with officers firing tear gas to disperse the crowds. In return, protesters have set off fireworks and started fires near the building.
On Thursday, President Trump said the federal officers wouldn’t leave the city until the governor cleared out the protesters.
“She must clear out, and in some cases arrest, the Anarchists & Agitators in Portland,” Trump tweeted. “If she can’t do it, the Federal Government will do it for her. We will not be leaving until there is safety!”