U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will visit Portland on Tuesday, according to city officials.
Noem’s agenda for the trip has not been announced, with police officials saying only that she was expected to be visiting the region.
Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Mike Benner said the bureau’s dignitary protection unit would provide “routine support” on roads and in public spaces, as they would with any visiting official.
Benner said the bureau would not assist in federal immigration matters, consistent with Oregon’s sanctuary state law.
“We urge Portlanders to continue to remain safe,” Benner said. “Recent court decisions have affirmed that Portland does not need federal military intervention, and that our local public-safety approach stands on firm legal ground.”
The feds and the city have been locked in a legal battle over President Donald Trump’s plans to mobilize National Guard troops to Portland, which he claims is mired in anarchy and chaos. In reality, the protests have been largely restricted to a single city block for the past few months.
A legal appeal of the troop deployment matter is pending with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court.
In July, Noem said that black-clad cadres called antifa were publishing the personal details of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, an act known as doxxing.
When President Donald Trump first announced plans to federalize 200 members of the Oregon National Guard a week ago, he said he was doing so at Noem’s request.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, will not be among the welcoming party for Noem, however.
“Kristi Noem is cosplaying as a public official,” Wyden said in a statement. “In reality, she’s been sent by Trump to incite violence.”
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