White House border czar makes visit to Portland ICE facility

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — More than a month after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan told Fox News he would be heading to Portland to double down on sanctuary cities, he quietly dropped in on Thursday.

Homan arrived early in the morning and met with personnel at the ICE facility in Southwest Portland, according to Cody Bowman, a spokesperson for the city. He left immediately after visiting the facility.

The city, including the police, did not play a role in coordinating the visit, the spokesperson said.

“Portland stands firm in protecting our sanctuary city status,” said Mayor Keith Wilson in a follow up statement. “Our City employees, including the Portland Police Bureau, will not use their time or resources to assist in Federal immigration enforcement action unless required by federal courts. As such, our sanctuary city status does not violate federal law.”

He said that ICE can enforce immigration law in Portland, and the city cannot interfere. He also said he does not approve of the tactics used by immigration enforcement officials.

“We are disgusted by the callous inhumanity and rhetoric displayed by ICE leadership. As your Mayor, I denounce these tactics,” he said.

In a lengthy social media post, Homan confirmed that he recently visited ICE officials Portland, as well as San Diego, Seattle and Tacoma.

“President Trump has committed to holding these lawless communities accountable,” he said.

The visit came less than a week after Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened Portland leaders in a letter regarding sanctuary jurisdictions.

KOIN 6 reached out to the White House for a comment. This story will be updated if we receive a response.