The White House on Friday made clear that sending federal troops to U.S. cities is, in large part, a response to the broader trend of local law enforcement not doing enough to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. 

In a response to queries from Just The News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "The law enforcement that we have here and the Homeland Security task force, I spoke with them this morning, and what they're seeing is that, unfortunately, local police have been restricted from responding or cooperating at all with federal authorities which his completely absurd."

Leavitt's remarks follow a particularly turbulent night in Oregon which saw tensions spill over at a protest outside the ICE facility in South Portland, with Portland Police Bureau officers overseeing the scene and only intervening after several physical altercations broke out among demonstrators. October 1 was reportedly the 100th night of such violence. 

Leavitt went on to say that "We have surged federal law enforcement personnel to this city [Oregon] to restore law and order and to work alongside local law enforcement. And we've seen the benefits of this in Washington DC [...] Washington, D.C. is and feels much safer because of the cooperation between federal and local law enforcement."

ICE under attack nationwide

The incident in Portland is one of many such incidents, most recently in Dallas. 

On September 24, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn carried out a sniper attack from a nearby parking structure on an ICE facility in Dallas, firing high-powered rounds that killed two detained immigrants and critically injured a third, who was shot eight times. The local Fox News affiliate KDFW reported that Jahn left notes saying that "he wanted to terrorize ICE." 

Jahn had reportedly planned the assault for months using apps to track ICE agents and left notes expressing hatred for the federal government and a desire to "cause terror," He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff with law enforcement. 

FBI Director Kash Patel said that "One of the unspent shell casings recovered was engraved with the phrase 'ANTI ICE'" and added that "it has to end." 

Apple has removed ICEBlock and similar apps that allow people to alert others nearby about sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their area, according to CNN, but it's a move that comes too late for victims of anti-ICE violence, some of whom were the very people that the assailants purportedly spoke for. 

Democrats insist on demonizing ICE, winking at violence

The incidents of violence against ICE agents come at the same time as Democrats like California's governor, Gavin Newsom, have sharply criticized ICE, using terms like "secret police," a reference to Adolf Hitler's Gestapo. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., has referred to ICE as "kidnappers" and has called them a "terrorist force." "I have no rhetoric that I regret. Nothing that I have said is rhetoric that incites violence. All of it is about what is actually happening," Jayapal told ABC News.

The list of Democrats using fiery rhetoric and hyperbole is extensive. Illinois' Democratic governor, Gov. JB Pritzker claimed the country is becoming “Nazi Germany” because ICE is “grabbing people off the street […] and disappearing them.” Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, referred to ICE agents as “thugs.” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said ICE agents are “vile and beyond cruel,” and that the agency should be abolished. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said it was his “priority” to ensure ICE agents “are no longer faceless,” comparing them to “some 1800s bank robber or some KGB officer in Russia.”

Reinforcing the need for coordination between local and federal law enforcement, including ICE officers, Leavitt urged, "They can and must be working together, and we think it's despicable that these local elected officials who swear an oath to their people are preventing law enforcement from doing their jobs on the ground."

"If the mayor of Portland were to call him [Trump] and say, 'Mr President, please help us,' I'm sure the president would be willing to do that. He is genuinely serious about wanting to restore order in America's cities, but it's become apparent that the local and elected officials in Oregon do not feel the same and that's very unfortunate for the people who live there."