Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent member of the “Squad,” is attempting to leverage the ongoing tensions between left-wing demonstrators and ICE in Portland by launching a fundraising campaign. She accuses President Trump of deploying troops based on dubious “propaganda” and outdated video footage.
An email sent on October 6 to her supporters claims that a significant portion of the administration’s rationale for sending National Guard and federal forces to both Chicago and Portland is built on “propaganda and also creating propaganda.”
“Some of it is simply misinformation—people aren’t aware that it’s not true and end up amplifying it,” she stated in her message.
This was promptly followed by a plea for donations ranging from $5 to $1,000, concluding her appeal with the phrase “in solidarity.”
Trump has called Portland “war ravaged,” asserting that he has observed the city’s “destruction” firsthand.
Residents living near the epicenter of the confrontations with federal agents recount nearly unlivable conditions, including one woman who has taken to wearing a gas mask inside her home.
“It’s like a war zone,” Brennah Hammar shared with the BBC, describing her experiences of hearing gunfire and witnessing an assault right outside her apartment across from the ICE facility, which has been a hotspot for weeks of protests.
Cindy Colgrove, a 63-year-old local, referred to the situation as “115 days of hell,” explaining that she only ventures outside during daylight hours amid the turmoil.
Portland police have recorded numerous arrests around the ICE site, with charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assault, totaling 45 since June. Furthermore, the Portland FBI has reported 129 arrests on federal charges since June 8, following the detention of an individual for assaulting an officer.
This includes incidents such as one on July 4 when the U.S. Attorney’s office indicated that several individuals gathered near the ICE facility “targeted the building and federal law enforcement officers with threatening statements, discharging pepper spray, and throwing rocks, trash, and bricks.”
“We face daily struggles with crime, drugs, and the general insecurity that comes with living here,” said Loretta Guzman, owner of Bison Coffeehouse. “It feels as if our leaders have neglected public safety,” she told Fox News.
On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited Portland, accusing Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Mayor Keith Wilson of “covering up the terrorism impacting their streets.”
She also addressed the protesters, including one individual dressed in a full chicken suit, whom a reporter pointed out to her. She labeled them as “uneducated and ill-informed.”
“This isn’t a controlled peaceful protest, as many have claimed; it’s radical violence,” remarked White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.
AOC has built an impressive $15 million fundraising total—more than any other House member—as she contemplates future runs for the White House or the Senate. She invites contributors to support her campaign via Venmo, PayPal, and Google Pay to “keep our movement strong.”
