Activists disrupt Portland city council, demand it revokes ICE permit
Portland, OR – On July 16, around 50 protesters gathered at the Portland city council meeting space for a press conference and rally to demand Portland city council revoke the permit for the ICE Field Office at 4310 S Macadam Avenue in Portland. The press conference was organized by Revoke the ICE Permit, a coalition of groups organizing to get ICE out of Portland.
In 2011, the Portland city council approved a conditional use permit for the field office, allowing it to operate. One of the conditions for the conditional use permit was a 12-hour limit on the holding of detainees. A recent Fox 12 Oregon investigation found the office has violated this condition many times.
“ICE has violated the conditions of the conditional use permit, so we are asking Portland city council to simply enforce the code and revoke the permit,” said activist Omar Gil, “if we want to protect immigrants in our city, we must ensure ICE has no place in our community.”
The press conference was full of energy, with protesters chanting “ICE out of Portland.” Community members who live across from the facility spoke about the effects the field office has had on their quality of life.
“As a mother and neighbor living directly across the street from the ICE facility, I’ve seen firsthand how the constant protests, loud tactics, and repeated use of smoke grenades have disrupted not just my family’s wellbeing but the health and safety of our entire community,” said Mindan Ocan, a mother of a small child that lives directly across from the ICE field office, “My goal is to see the building permit revoked.”
Protesters attended the city council meeting. Spots for public comment must be reserved months in advance, so protesters decided to take action into their own hands and call upon city council to revoke the permit, without a speaking spot.
A spokesperson for the group made the demand that the permit be revoked and then the entire crowd began chanting “Revoke the ICE permit!”
The councilors left the meeting, and it was brought to a halt for over 30 minutes.
Protesters ended the day by convening outside city hall and committing to continue the fight to end all deportations and get ICE out of Portland.