Oregon Governor Says Federal Officers Will Begin Phased Withdrawal From Portland

Federal officers deploy tear gas and crowd control munitions at demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Portland, Ore.

Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

Updated 4:57 p.m. ET

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday that U.S. agents who were sent to protect a federal courthouse in Portland from demonstrators will begin departing on Thursday.

“After my discussions with VP Pence and others, the federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland,” the Democratic governor said on Twitter. “They have acted as an occupying force & brought violence. Starting tomorrow, all Customs and Border Protection & ICE officers will leave downtown Portland.”