Portland is on a path to withdraw from the FBI’s anti-terrorism task force for a second time after Commissioner-Elect Jo Ann Hardesty is sworn into office early next year.

Hardesty has said forcing Portland’s removal from the Joint Terrorism Task Force is among her Day One priorities.

She likely has allies in that pursuit: Commissioners Amanda Fritz and Chloe Eudaly, both of whom told The Oregonian they lean toward pulling the city from the law enforcement pact.

Commissioner Dan Saltzman, whom Hardesty is replacing, on Tuesday bemoaned that Portland is all but certain to withdraw. “It’s almost a fait accompli,” Saltzman said.

Membership in the task force affords Portland police officers and other select officials access to federal agencies’ information about potential terrorist activities in the Portland area. The task force in 2002 famously caught the Portland Seven, a group of locals who attempted to join an al Qaeda cell.

Portland leaders have vacillated on whether to stay a member of the law enforcement cooperative ever since the city joined in 1997. The FBI operates joint terrorism task forces out of field offices in more than 100 cities. Portland drew national attention when it cut ties in 2005, rejoined partly in 2011 and rejoined fully in 2015.

Hardesty, a long-time activist for police reform and social causes, has stressed her concerns with the task force lie with complaints that its members have used it as a pretense to surveil Muslims or deport immigrants.

Hardesty said in a statement Tuesday that she intends to have the city withdraw given “the fear of community members, especially recent immigrants and refugees, who feel targeted by federal agents.”

“At the end of the day we must listen to those most impacted by policy,” the statement said. “Time and time again our leadership has been called to protect our fellow community members and remove ourselves from this agreement. Their request is unwavering and now is the time to listen and act.”

Fritz said FBI agents have assured city leaders that “they aren’t doing anything improper.” But the agency is not transparent about its work, Fritz said, leading her to say it is right for the city council to discuss if Portland should remain in the task force.

“I would need to be convinced of reasons to stay in,” Fritz told The Oregonian.

Eudaly said she is concerned that the task force is used to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement make deportations – actions that she said would violate the spirit of Portland’s sanctuary status policy.

“I lean toward withdrawing,” Eudaly said.

Mayor Ted Wheeler said last year that he is satisfied with Portland’s involvement in the task force. Whether his position has changed is unclear; his office did not return a request for comment Tuesday.

Commissioner Nick Fish said in a statement that Portland should continue its membership in the task force despite worries about its activities, which he said he shares.

“I believe Portland is safer when we exchange information with our federal law enforcement partners,” the statement said. “And I also believe we must enter into that relationship with our eyes wide open.”

Fish said he has been privy to confidential briefings showing Portland is vulnerable to domestic and international terrorism. Local police access to information about potential threats is of critical importance, he said.

The FBI’s special agent in charge for Oregon, Renn Cannon, made the case to the media Tuesday for why Portland should remain in. He said a more inclusive task force would be better equipped to keep Portlanders safe.

Though Saltzman believes Portland’s withdrawal from the pact is all but certain, the retiring commissioner said Eudaly, Fritz and Hardesty should “think about the consequences” of ending the agreement.

Saltzman, who noted that he is Jewish, said Portland’s religious minorities and abortion providers still face threats of terrorism.

“It'd be nice to know the city council has our backs,” he said.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

GFriedman@Oregonian.com