It’s been the unidentified federal agents which the Trump administration has been sending into the city–not the protesters themselves–which are turning the protests in Portland, Ore., violent, according to Mayor Ted Wheeler.

The administration has sent unidentified federal agents to Portland without first asking local or state officials.

These agents reportedly have been traveling the area around the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse in unidentified vans, and have been snatching protesters from the streets without due process.

Trump has said that he plans to expand this “paramilitary program” next to the streets of Chicago.

“Well, the president has a complete misunderstanding of cause and effect. What’s happening here is we have dozens if not hundreds of federal troops descending upon our city. What they’re doing is they are sharply escalating the situation,” Wheeler said. “Their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. And it’s not helping the situation at all. They’re not wanted here. We haven’t asked them here.”

The agents are no more wanted in Chicago, according to that city’s mayor.

“I have great concerns about that particularly given the track record in the city of Portland. I spent a lot of time yesterday talking with the mayor or Portland to get a sense of what has happened there. We don’t need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the streets and holding them, I think, unlawfully. That’s not what we need,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

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