PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland, Oregon, announced plans to issue a land use violation notice to the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, citing that the facility has been detaining individuals beyond permitted limits set in its land use approval.
The conditional land use approval, in effect since 2011, strictly prohibits overnight detentions and any holds exceeding 12 hours. The city claims that these regulations were violated 25 times over the past ten months, particularly during the period from last October until July of this year.
Mayor Keith Wilson emphasized the severity of the findings in a news release, stating, “ICE made clear detention limitation commitments to our community, and we believe they broke those policies more than two dozen times.” Wilson commended the thorough investigative work conducted by the city’s officials and noted that the notice would be issued on Thursday.
ICE did not respond immediately to inquiries regarding the allegations.
Protests against the facility have intensified recently, particularly during the summer months, drawing attention not only from community members but also from federal officials. The protests, while smaller in scale compared to the racial justice movements that took place in 2020, have continued to disrupt nearby residents with nightly demonstrations. This unrest has caught the eye of President Donald Trump, who has expressed considerations of deploying federal troops to the area as part of a wider strategy to combat perceived increases in crime.
Under the city's sanctuary policy, local law enforcement, including police officers, are not authorized to enforce federal immigration laws, and Oregon's sanctuary law additionally restricts local entities from participating in immigration enforcement activities without a proper warrant.
Portland’s permitting bureau initiated an investigation into the ICE facility in late July following formal complaints received from the community. The bureau reviewed records released by ICE, which showed an incidence of detention violations occurring as recently as May 20. Following receipt of the violation notice, landowners will have a 30-day period to address the cited issues, or they may face substantial fines if violations are verified.
Additionally, the city has avenues for reconsidering land use approvals through scheduled hearings, which can be requested at least 60 days after a notice is given, with decisions being subject to appeals at the city council level.
