Federal agents expected to begin new Chicago assignment in coming days

CHICAGO - Protesters in Portland are demanding federal agents leave the city and free all protesters from jail.

Additionally, they are calling for the Portland police budget to be cut by at least 50 percent, with those funds going to black communities.

Many are also calling for Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler to resign.

On Wednesday, federal agents, sent to the city by President Trump, teargassed the mayor while he was in a crowd of protesters he joined outside the federal courthouse. 

President Trump has now re-assigned 300 federal agents to Chicago, denouncing Democrats who run the city for failing to stem a huge surge in shootings and killings. 

The deployment of 150 extra FBI, DEA and ATF agents and U.S. Marshals have won tentative support.

“The federal additional resources would beef up the cooperation that's already happening. and so I think that's very appropriate on the part of the president,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi. 

“Our circumstances are different than the ones that Portland faced. I will tell you that we’re going to hold Mr. Lausch, as well as the Department of Justice and all others to their word, that we will not see in Chicago anything like what we witnessed in the streets of portland." said Rep. Dick Durbin

The extra federal agents are expected to begin their new Chicago assignments in coming days.