Portland’s city council, known for its progressive stance, is examining options to remove Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from a detention site that has become the center of violent confrontations between agents and extremist protesters.
At a recent meeting attended by many, council members indicated they are considering revoking the permit that permits ICE to function at its South Waterfront location on South Moody Avenue, as reported by local source Willamette Week. The action is being considered on grounds of alleged breaches of a 2011 conditional-use permit.
The permit permits the site to be used for detention and administrative purposes with certain conditions, but there are concerns from legislators that ICE may be detaining individuals for more than the permitted 12-hour period.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detain a man outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs building during a protest Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Residents and lawmakers raised moral concerns too, saying that the facility undermines the city’s sanctuary city policy, while residents testified about targeted arrests, gas attacks and intimidation.
“Our values of sanctuary and humanity are under siege,” local resident Michelle Dar said. She also said that federal agents’ armed actions threatened everyone’s safety, not just that of immigrants.
Other residents complained that loud bangs and flashbangs were disrupting life for residents of subsidized housing and students of a local school. A handful of people also blamed Antifa for the ugly scenes outside the facility.
Chaotic scenes have been unfolding outside the facility since June, including in one incident where a large group of anti-ICE protesters tried to block law enforcement vehicles from entering and exiting the facility, forcing agents to deploy rubber bullets, tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the crowd.
DHS announced a new American flag was added to its Portland ICE facility after protesters burned others. (Photo courtesy of DHS )
Violent agitators have also smashed windows, pelted agents and the facility with rocks and other objects. On Independence Day, violent rioters cut internet cables, damaged the sprinkler system, hurled rocks and fireworks at law enforcement and burned an American flag, according to DHS.
But most residents and lawmakers’ concerns pertained to ICE’s alleged violation of its permit terms, particularly related to how long detainees were being held, rather than the violence caused by protesters or agitators.
They urged the council to revoke the permit, citing a local report that ICE had violated the permit more than two dozen times by holding detainees for longer than 12 hours.
“If we allow ICE to continue to operate when they have violated their permits, that means that anything becomes permissible moving forward,” City Council Member Angelita Morillo told the community and public safety committee hearing. “And so, for me, that change in information has changed the calculation.”
Meanwhile, City Council Member Steve Novick said the council should take a broader moral stand against the federal deportation machine.
“This is an assault on our democracy as a whole… The assault on immigrants is the tip of the spear,” Novick said, per the outlet. “We should not be trying to figure out how to keep our heads low and avoid the attention of this administration.”
City Council Member Eric Zimmerman said the chamber was exploring legal pathways to revoke the permit and that the city attorney’s office was working on a memo about the city’s legal options regarding the ICE facility.
Law enforcement officers grab a demonstrator outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs building during a protest Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Border Czar Tom Homan last week vowed to “double down and triple down” on sanctuary cities that are obstructing ICE operations, specifically mentioning Portland.
“We’re going to do the job,” Homan said on Fox News’ “Kudlow.”
“We’re going to do it in Portland too. But for the mayors of New York City and Chicago, President [Donald] Trump made it clear two weeks ago, we are going to double down and triple down the sanctuary cities. … If we can’t arrest that bad guy in the jail, then we’ll go to the community and we’ll find him. Or we’ll do more worksite enforcement.”
