The City of Bend Police Department confirmed federal agents had arrived on the scene but local police were not assisting them. Police Chief Mike Krantz said the department was made aware that ICE agents were in the city for an investigation, “however we were not made aware of their detailed plans.”
The federal agents have since left the area, the police department said, and the demonstrators have dispersed “peacefully.”
The Acting DHS Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said the presence of law enforcement was to arrest two undocumented individuals with “a history of criminal violent behavior.”
“While ICE respects the rights of people to voice their opinion peacefully, that does not include illegally interfering with their federal law enforcement duties,” Cuccinelli said in a statement. “ICE will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of its officers and detainees, and will vigorously pursue protection against anyone who puts them in harm’s way.”
“Despite severe challenges, ICE remains committed to our public safety mission and ICE officers will continue to perform their sworn duty to seek out dangerous criminal aliens and other immigration violators. ICE seeks straightforward cooperation with state and local law enforcement and has never requested them to enforce federal immigration law.”
The district attorney for Deschutes County, where the city of Bend is located, also commented on the ongoing situation.
“I was on the scene of the stand-off with ICE and was impressed by the passion and empathy shown by our community,” Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said in a tweet. He added that both he, the governor, the mayor and the police chief “have been trying to broker a resolution with DHS, to no avail.”
“We’re here,” he tweeted at Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf, “let’s work it out.”
CNN has reached out to the governor’s office for comment.
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