After video surfaced on social media showing uniformed men in unmarked vans taking custody of people in Portland last night, the governor of Oregon, Kate Brown has called on Donald Trump to withdraw federal officers. NBC News reports:

“A spokesman Brown, a Democrat, said she remains concerned about allegations that the federal officers may be arresting people in violation of their constitutional rights. Her office has asked the Department of Homeland Security to stand down its officers, spokesman Charles Boyle said, but “federal law enforcement agencies are not communicating with us about their activities.”

Acting Homeland Security Chief Chad Wolf arrived in Portland on Thursday, and he confirmed today that his department had deployed “a hundred or so” federal officers to “defend the courthouse.”

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley (D) was blunt: “Get your DHS lackey and uninvited paramilitary actions out of my state,” Merkley, D-Ore., tweeted at President Donald Trump. “Our communities are not a stage for your twisted re-election campaign.”

Protesters have been on the streets nightly for the last two months since the death of George Floyd.

NEW:

Oregon Governor Kate Brown tells us that the use of DHS law enforcement in Portland appears to be a "deliberate effort to provoke."

But Trump officials don't want a dialogue, Brown says.

"It’s like adding gasoline to a fire."

Me and @paulwaldman1:https://t.co/Un5UkZNO7a

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) July 17, 2020

CNN reports Customs and Border Patrol admitted today that it was its agents who were behind the overnight detentions.

CBP admits its agents were behind mysterious detentions at Portland protests. @joshscampbell reports pic.twitter.com/8z8IvMK7WM

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) July 17, 2020

Here’s a background video from the Washington Post: