Dem Portland city councilor calls for open carry for lawmakers after anti-ICE agitators storm meeting

Following the anti-ICE disruption at City Hall on Wednesday night, a Portland City Council member proposed allowing councilors to open carry firearms in the chambers. Loretta Smith, a Democrat, called the incident a "mini insurrection" and believes councilors need to take greater precautions to protect themselves from leftist agitators.

Smith, who represents District 1, drafted a city ordinance that would allow lawmakers to open carry while conducting official city business. Smith told OPB that she has never carried a firearm before, but now feels the need to do so. "It's a defensive mechanism," she said. "If people know that you're a serious person and you're going to protect yourself, they're not going to be as quick to mess with you."

The lawmaker's calls come shortly after Antifa-affiliated agitators disrupted a Portland City Council meeting on Wednesday night, demanding councilors revoke the building permit for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Macadam Avenue. Protesters barged into the meeting and used extreme acts of intimidation while confronting councilors, resulting in official government business shutting down and lawmakers fleeing to safety.

Portland Police made four arrests for a variety of offenses, including criminal trespass and resisting arrest. The disruption was organized by the Antifa-affiliated group, "Revoke ICE Permit PDX."

Councilor Smith was among the first to condemn the demonstration, referring to it as a "mini insurrection." "Tonight was horrible at Portland City Council," Smith wrote in a Facebook post. "These protesters were not peaceful. A lady jumped over the testifying table and screamed in my face. I don't feel safe at council meetings."

She demanded that the city take extra precautions to protect councilors from anti-ICE extremists, who are now targeting Smith for speaking out against their violence and intimidation. "Revoke ICE Permit PDX" lambasted Smith for feeling the need to protect herself in a social media post, resulting in the extremist group's supporters threatening Smith. One user wrote in the comments, "Guns won't keep you safe."







The threats come as Councilor Smith has already positioned herself as an anti-ICE legislator. She has repeatedly called for an end to the Trump administration's nationwide immigration enforcement operations, referring to them as "federal overreach." Additionally, all current members of the Portland City Council are Democrats and have strongly opposed ICE since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year.

Councilors have repeatedly targeted the ICE facility on Macadam Avenue, issuing land-use agreement violation notices in an attempt to oust ICE from Portland, a position in line with the leftist activist class. Despite city councilors' ongoing attempts to take action against ICE in the self-declared sanctuary city, leftist activists believe the city has not done enough, resulting in ongoing violent disruptions.