Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a blunt ultimatum Tuesday to Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, warning that the Biden administration’s legal battles with the city won’t stop her from sending “four times the amount of federal officers” if local officials continue to resist cooperating with federal security operations.
Noem flew to Portland to tour the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility — a flashpoint for repeated protests — amid an ongoing legal dispute between Oregon state leaders and the Trump administration over the president’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to the city.
Noem told Fox News host Jesse Watters that she left her meeting with Mayor Wilson “extremely disappointed.”
“He’s continuing to play politics,” she said. “What I told him is that if he did not follow through on some of these security measures for our officers, we were going to cover him up with more federal resources — and we were going to send four times the amount of federal officers here so that the people of Portland could have some safety.”
Standing atop the ICE facility alongside federal agents earlier in the day, Noem accused Wilson of cowardice, saying his hesitation had endangered both citizens and law enforcement.
“He’s going to have blood on his hands because he sat around and thought too long,” she said. “He’s too scared of the political ramifications of making a big decision to keep his city safe.”
Noem claimed the unrest surrounding Portland’s ICE operations was being driven by “professional terrorists,” echoing the Trump administration’s argument that organized agitators were targeting federal facilities nationwide.
“That’s my concern — you’ve got so many people here in Portland playing politics,” she added. “They don’t realize they’re up against professionals who know exactly what they’re doing.”
Wilson’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News or other media outlets’ requests for comment. However, the mayor later issued a written statement describing his meeting with Noem as “cordial but deeply concerning.”
“What the secretary saw today matches our reports: Portland continues to manage public safety professionally and responsibly, irrespective of the claims of out-of-state social media influencers,” Wilson said.
He rejected Noem’s framing of the city as “out of control,” adding, “The tactics used by federal agents at the ICE facility are troubling and likely unconstitutional. We still do not know what ‘Full Force’ against Portland means, or how the administration plans to use our city as a military training ground.”
Wilson said he plans to “explore all options to protect our community and our right to free expression.”
Noem’s visit came two days after a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to Oregon, ruling that the White House had not demonstrated a sufficient need for military intervention. The government has appealed the decision.
President Trump, for his part, has repeatedly described Portland as “war-ravaged,” saying local officials have allowed chaos to fester by refusing to cooperate with federal authorities.
“This is not about politics,” Trump said earlier this week. “It’s about restoring law and order.”
Local law enforcement officials dispute that characterization. Portland Police Chief Bob Day told CNN that unrest had been exaggerated by the national media.
“This is just one small block in a big city,” Day said. “Our officers are maintaining control.”
Still, Noem’s warning suggests that tensions between federal and local officials are far from cooling. Her threat to increase federal presence by “four times” — effectively a surge of tactical agents and DHS personnel — marks the most aggressive escalation yet in the administration’s ongoing confrontation with progressive-led cities.
“This is not a negotiation,” a DHS spokesperson said Tuesday evening. “Either Portland’s leadership steps up and secures federal facilities, or we will.”
