An “accident chain” describes a series of small mistakes or oversights that, when combined, can lead to tragedy — whether it’s an accident, an injury, or even a loss of life. As someone who once served as the CEO of one of North America’s safest freight trucking companies, I’ve spent decades learning to recognize those danger signs before they spiral out of control. Now, as the mayor of Portland, I see those same warning signals flashing red all around our city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.
A Visit That Revealed Chaos
Earlier this month, I was called to meet Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski at Portland’s controversial ICE facility. What I witnessed there was disturbing — not just as a public official, but as someone who has spent a lifetime promoting safety, accountability, and leadership.
In business, I insisted on an organized workplace where every tool had its place — so precise that anyone could navigate it in the dark. The ICE facility, by contrast, was a complete breakdown of order and safety: overflowing dumpsters, discarded body armor, loose munitions, and a malfunctioning HVAC system that turned the building into a pressure cooker — literally and figuratively.
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It’s no surprise that Secretary Noem has refused to allow journalists meaningful access to this site, instead preferring to fly in partisan social media influencers with no credibility. Transparency, it seems, is the first casualty of political theater.
The Human Toll on Federal Agents
I also left that meeting with a deep sense of concern for the rank-and-file ICE personnel. Many of them were far from home, unpaid during a government shutdown, exhausted, and clearly under immense personal stress. These are human beings being asked to make life-altering decisions on behalf of the federal government — while enduring untenable working conditions and divisive political pressure.
No employer would tolerate this environment. Yet our national government has created it — and left these individuals to bear the consequences.
Dangerous Words, Dangerous Outcomes
Words matter. As a CEO, I learned that leadership by intimidation doesn’t produce excellence — patience, purpose, and clear communication do. Unfortunately, the words now coming from the highest levels of the federal government are reckless and inflammatory.
When administration officials threaten to invoke the Insurrection Act, talk about using “full force” in Portland, or suggest turning our city into a “training ground” for the U.S. military, they’re not protecting the public — they’re inviting chaos. This rhetoric puts both citizens and officers in harm’s way.
The Erosion of Integrity
The Department of Homeland Security was founded on principles of integrity and service before self. But recent behavior from federal officials calls those values into question. How can Secretary Noem, or any member of this administration, stand before Congress and claim that DHS still embodies those ideals when the public sees such disregard for accountability and truth?
Here in Portland, we’ve seen peaceful protesters sprayed with chemical irritants, including teenagers and senior citizens. We’ve seen chemical munitions used so extensively that schools had to be evacuated. We’ve even witnessed a federal agent delay an ambulance transporting an injured protester — an act that defies both morality and law enforcement ethics.
While I’ve been told that disciplinary actions have occurred, there’s no transparency to confirm it. For all we know, those responsible have simply been reassigned — free to repeat their actions elsewhere.
Missed Opportunities for Cooperation
Secretary Noem’s visit could have been an opportunity for collaboration. We could have discussed joint strategies to combat fentanyl, human trafficking, and organized crime. We could have shared how local law enforcement here in Portland has become a national model for community dialogue, accountability, and de-escalation.
Instead, what we received was a taxpayer-funded publicity stunt — a tour designed to validate a false narrative about “domestic terrorism” and justify more federal aggression. Every missed chance to cooperate is a tragedy, and this one may prove costly.
Building Toward Disaster
The administration’s approach to ICE is not just politically misguided; it’s operationally dangerous. Recruitment has surged while training and vetting standards have fallen. Signing bonuses have reached record highs, raising concerns that the wrong kind of applicants are being incentivized — people motivated by money or ideology rather than principle.
Deaths in ICE custody are increasing, including the recent loss of a 67-year-old Jordanian national. Confrontations between agents and civilians are also rising — many sparked by poor decision-making and a lack of proper oversight.
Every one of these developments adds another link in the accident chain. Sooner or later, if this trajectory continues, those links will connect — and Portland will face a catastrophe.
A Plea for Leadership
The path forward is still ours to choose. The administration could de-escalate tensions, restore accountability, and refocus DHS on its founding mission of protecting the public through integrity and service. Or it can continue to stoke fear, suppress dissent, and create the conditions for tragedy.
To Secretary Noem, I say this: Every accident is preventable. Every tragedy can be stopped before it begins — if those in charge have the courage to recognize the warning signs.
Right now, Portland is filled with them. And time is running out.
Keith Wilson is the mayor of Portland, Oregon.
