The nightly protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement complex in South Portland draw a swirling mix of black- and costume-clad protesters, federal agents, police officers and — buried within the crowd — covert informants, court records reveal.
Of the 50 arrests made by Portland Police Bureau officers at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building since June, at least eight criminal cases reference what authorities call “Confidential Reliable Sources” or, more plainly, “informants.”
Police are loath to talk about these unmarked eyes — though the strategy was similarly cited in court records and highly publicized during the 2020 protest movement that rocked Portland…