PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland, Oregon, said Wednesday it will issue a land use violation notice to the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, accusing the facility of detaining people beyond the limits of what its land use approval allows.
The building’s conditional land use approval, in place since 2011, does not allow people to be kept overnight or held for more than 12 hours. The city alleges that this provision was violated 25 times over the 10-month period from last October through most of this July.
“U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement made clear detention limitation commitments to our community, and we believe they broke those policies more than two dozen times,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson stated in a news release. “I am proud of our team for conducting a thorough, thoughtful investigation and referring the matter to the next steps in the land use violation process.”
The city plans to issue the notice on Thursday. ICE has not yet commented on the allegations.
The facility has been the focal point of nightly protests that have escalated in recent months, particularly in June, with demonstrators often appearing in large numbers late at night. Various groups gather to advocate for those affected by ICE practices during the day, while night-time protests have seen clashes as demonstrators voice their dissent against immigration operations.
While these protests have stirred a certain level of disruption for nearby residents, they are notably different from the more intense racial justice protests of 2020, but they have garnered the attention of President Donald Trump, who is reportedly considering federal intervention in Portland similar to his approach in other cities.
Moreover, the city’s permitting bureau began its investigation into the ICE facility in late July, prompted by formal complaints and data released by ICE under public records requests. Of the 25 reported violations, the last occurred on May 20, the city stated.
Under Portland's sanctuary policy, local employees, including police, do not enforce federal immigration laws. A notice of violation gives landowners 30 days to remedy the situation, or risk fines if substantial evidence of violation is established. The process also allows for hearings and appeals to the city council.
The building’s conditional land use approval, in place since 2011, does not allow people to be kept overnight or held for more than 12 hours. The city alleges that this provision was violated 25 times over the 10-month period from last October through most of this July.
“U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement made clear detention limitation commitments to our community, and we believe they broke those policies more than two dozen times,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson stated in a news release. “I am proud of our team for conducting a thorough, thoughtful investigation and referring the matter to the next steps in the land use violation process.”
The city plans to issue the notice on Thursday. ICE has not yet commented on the allegations.
The facility has been the focal point of nightly protests that have escalated in recent months, particularly in June, with demonstrators often appearing in large numbers late at night. Various groups gather to advocate for those affected by ICE practices during the day, while night-time protests have seen clashes as demonstrators voice their dissent against immigration operations.
While these protests have stirred a certain level of disruption for nearby residents, they are notably different from the more intense racial justice protests of 2020, but they have garnered the attention of President Donald Trump, who is reportedly considering federal intervention in Portland similar to his approach in other cities.
Moreover, the city’s permitting bureau began its investigation into the ICE facility in late July, prompted by formal complaints and data released by ICE under public records requests. Of the 25 reported violations, the last occurred on May 20, the city stated.
Under Portland's sanctuary policy, local employees, including police, do not enforce federal immigration laws. A notice of violation gives landowners 30 days to remedy the situation, or risk fines if substantial evidence of violation is established. The process also allows for hearings and appeals to the city council.
