PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Free speech advocates want Oregon leaders to launch a probe into U.S. agents’ use of force against community members.
In a letter sent on Tuesday, Free Speech For People accused federal officers of violating the law by abusing and detaining residents who have exercised their right to protest. The national organization pushed Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, Attorney General Dan Rayfield, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, Portland Police Bureau Chief Bob Day and Mayor Keith Wilson to investigate the authorities over their response to anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement demonstrations — also noting the “unlawful” detention of people who are documented citizens.
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“Federal agents have kidnapped and assaulted residents with no criminal records or reason to believe they are undocumented, as part of an orchestrated retaliation campaign against Oregon and Portland for their perceived political affiliation,” Free Speech For People wrote. “Furthermore, they have systematically used excessive force to attempt to disrupt peaceful protests of the ICE detention facility in Portland.”
According to the advocacy group, federal officials’ “brazen operations targeting Latino and immigrant communities in Oregon” amid President Donald Trump’s second term date back to early June — when the detaining of a transgender woman seeking asylum from Mexico marked Portland’s first ICE courthouse arrest…