In a 3-2 vote, elected officials in Portland, OR voted to withdraw the Portland Police Bureau from the national Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Portland will become the second city to sever ties with the task force. San Francisco withdrew from the JTTF in 2017.
According to KOBI-TV, critics believe that the JTTF helps the federal government target undocumented immigrants.
Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said she believes the decision is an "important part of making sure those who feel voiceless and unprotected are re-centered in our policy creation."
U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Billy J. Williams said in a statement, "The decision to withdraw the Portland Police Bureau from the Joint Terrorism Task Force is a mistake that defies logic. It’s disappointing that in spite of the overwhelming evidence presented of JTTF successes in Oregon and across the nation, a majority of the city council chose a politically-expedient broadside against the federal government over the safety and well-being of their constituents."
