Portland, OR – On April 4, angry protesters marched to Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s house, demanding he revoke the conditional land use permit for the ICE detention facility. The protest, organized by Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD), began at Wilshire Park and drew a crowd of over 50 in front of the mayor’s home.

The city of Portland issued a land use violation of the permit to the facility on Macadam Avenue in September 2025, after public pressure as the city faced threats of the deployment of the National Guard. Since then, Wilson has allowed landowner Stuart Lindquist to stall the process and appeal the violation to delay any consequences.

In March, the ICE facility landowner, Lindquist, rescinded his appeal to the city’s upholding of the land use violation, meaning Portland officials can begin enforcing the fine at any time. Protesters condemn the lack of enforcement by their city leaders.

During this time, Portland has faced increased immigration enforcement with violent detentions peaking in the fall of 2025. In January 2026, two immigrants were shot by ICE in Portland, and many others faced unlawful and brutal kidnappings.

Andrew Nourie with Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “For the last year, Portland has been under attack by the federal government. The people have demanded action from our mayor and the city government, and in response we’ve received silence and a clear commitment to business as usual.”

PDXCD has sent over 1000 emails to the mayor requesting he take action and heard nothing from him for months. After protesters marched to his home in early February, his team reached out to the organization to coordinate a meeting.

Isabella Shepherd, one of the founding members of the campaign to Revoke the ICE Permit, said at the rally: “He insisted on bringing 15 other people [to the meeting] from other groups to argue with the four of us he allowed us to bring, so he wouldn’t have to say any of his own vile opinions out loud himself.”

Members of the campaign say the meeting made it clear the mayor is committed to keeping the ICE facility open, which is why they’ve returned to protest at his house.

The crowd chanted, “Keith Wilson, do your job!” as they occupied the street in front of his home for over an hour. Cars driving by honked their support, and a small crowd of supportive neighbors and passersby formed on a nearby street.

Activists dumped spent munitions ICE used on protesters during this last year on the front porch of the mayor’s house, yelling “No justice, no peace!” saying there will not be peace at home for Wilson while immigrants are terrorized by ICE in their homes.

Sage Joyce with PDXCD said the group brought the canisters because “Keith Wilson should not have freedom from chemical munitions he allows to be used against Portlanders who dare to stand up to ICE!”

Organizers said they are determined to keep up pressure on the city of Portland to move forward in the land use violation process for the ICE facility.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #PDXCD #KeithWilson #Featured

Portland, OR – On February 18, immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD) held a rally at city hall to demand city council take immediate action to revoke the permit for the Portland ICE facility. The event turned into a violent suppression of protest by the Portland Police Bureau, with multiple arrests.

The night began with high tensions as local right-wingers antagonized protesters at the rally by yelling “I love ICE” in megaphones and the unprovoked pepper spraying of five activists. At the same time, city hall security came out and told Cole Dunahugh, a regular protester at city hall, that he was “trespassed” from the building and not allowed to enter. When documentation was requested, it was not provided. The right-wingers who assaulted protesters were allowed to enter city hall.

Activists were not deterred, continued chanting and refused to allow the reactionaries to silence their message.

After the rally, protesters entered the chambers and provided compelling testimony demanding the council take action to shut down the ICE facility and called out the councilors’ hypocrisy.

“The fact that some of you have the audacity to ride the wave of ‘Abolish ICE’ while you unironically have argued and defended keeping the Macadam ICE facility open for the sake of immigrants might be the worst of your offenses,” said Elijah Thahir, referencing many of the councilors’ claims that the facility must be kept open to “serve” immigrants.

The city administrator was asked to give an update on the ICE facility, which has been issued a violation for holding detainees past a 12-hour limit. The enforcement process was stalled for five months while the city granted the landlord multiple extensions on an appeal. Only recently did the city deny the landlord’s appeal, after PDXCD protested at the mayor’s house and at the office of permitting and development.

As the city administrator gave excuses for the inaction of the city, those in the chambers chanted, “Revoke the permit.”

Susan Anglada-Bartley, the original creator of the petition to revoke the permit, walked up to the desks of the councilors with a printout of all 19,000 signatures on a petition to revoke the permit. She was placed in a chokehold by security and physically assaulted.

At this point, City Council President Jamie Dunphy immediately shut down the meeting, ordered security to remove protesters, and all the councilors left the room to reconvene the meeting online.

Protesters continued to stay in the chambers, chanting for around 30 minutes. At this point around 30 police officers entered city hall and arrested Anglada-Bartley. The rest of the protesters linked arms and refused to move, and were violently pushed down a flight of stairs out of city hall by the police. Madison Delsanter and Henry Roloff were arrested for “trespassing,” despite being confined in a space they could not leave by police.

On the other side of the building, Cole Dunahugh was also arrested for “trespassing” despite the fact he was never allowed to enter the building.

Protesters immediately moved the protest from city hall to the nearby jail and held a rally to demand the release of the four detained activists. Three of the activists were released the same night, and one the next day. All face charges.

Rather than apologize for their use of force to suppress the free speech of Portlanders, city council members and the Portland Police Bureau doubled down the next day.

Councilor Loretta Smith posted on her Facebook calling the protest a “mini insurrection” and told press she is drafting legislation to allow councilors to open carry in meetings with the public, implying she would shoot immigrant rights protesters.

The Portland police held a press conference to justify their use of force where Police Chief Bob Day stated he sent “nearly every available officer” working in the city at the time to attack the protesters. He attempted to blame protesters for this egregious attempt to silence First Amendment rights by stating this was a “drain on the city's resources.”

“Why is Bob Day blaming his irresponsible act of over-policing and violence on protesters?” questioned Kacey DeSantis, “It was completely unnecessary for him to send any police officers to prevent the city council from hearing from its constituents. He should be ashamed.”

PDXCD will hold a press conference and protest on February 20, before the arraignments of Dunahugh, Anglada Bartley and Madison Delsanter. They demand that all the charges are dropped, that the city of Portland stop criminalizing free speech, and take action to shut down the ICE facility.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #PoliceBrutality #Featured

Portland, OR – Over 100 protesters rallied in front of Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s home on Saturday February 7, to demand he take immediate action to shut down the Portland ICE Facility. The protest was called by the immigrant rights organization, Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD).

“Federal agents are terrorizing Portland. Whether it is immigrants living under the threat of deportation by ICE or residents of the South Waterfront neighborhood subject to constant chemical warfare from DHS attacks, there are so many who don’t feel safe in their own homes. That is why we protest at the mayor’s house today, to show him how urgent this situation is,” said protester Cami Saunders.

The action began at a nearby park with speeches calling out Mayor Wilson’s performative statements and lack of action.

The weekend prior, DHS gassed a march of thousands of people organized by labor groups. In response, the mayor put out a statement telling ICE to “leave” and “resign.”

Yet, despite these words, he has put forth no legislation or orders to make this happen. In fact, a few days after this statement, he put out an editorial telling mayors to “stay the course” and stated, “Know that public frustration with the limitations of our offices will continue to invite provocateurs and opportunists. They’ll insist that local police can impede or arrest federal officers at will, or that wielding civil land use laws and implementing fines can effectively remove ICE from our communities.”

The protest marched to the mayor’s house and held the street in front of his home for over an hour with chants of “Keith Wilson shame on you! Immigrants are people too,” “Revoke the permit” and “Do your job!”

A land use violation was issued in September 2025 against the Portland ICE facility for holding detainees past a 12-hour limit, and the city has yet to take any action to enforce this violation, much less revoke the permit, despite it being fully within their power to do so.

On February 5, PDXCD members went to Portland Permitting and Development Offices and interrupted a meeting with department director Eric Kutch to demand to know what he will be doing to shut down the Portland ICE Facility. They were kicked out of the building by police.

This follows a pattern of activists being shut down and refused conversation.

PDXCD has sent over 1000 emails to the mayor requesting action, and prior to this past week heard nothing back. It was only after the protest at his house was announced that his staff reached out to set up a meeting. PDXCD is working on setting up this meeting where they will bring forth their demand to shut down the ICE Facility.

After the protest at the mayor’s house many protesters stated they felt ready to continue to ramp up the pressure on the mayor and city in general to shut down the facility.

#ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #PortlandOR #OR

Portland, OR – On February 1, over 1000 Portlanders protested outside of Portland City Hall to stand against the killing of Alex Pretti, Renee Good and all those murdered by ICE, and to demand city government revoke the permit for the Portland ICE facility. The protest, organized by Portland Contra Las Deportaciones marched two miles from city hall to the Portland ICE facility.

Speaker Holly Brown called out Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and city councilors, saying months of cries to shut down the facility have been met with “not only inaction, but deliberate stalling, condescension, and lies.”

Protesters chanted “Do your jobs!” targeting Wilson and other city officials. Another rally speaker, Beatriz Ibarra, noted Custom Border Patrol agents shot two Portland residents just one day after Renee Good was murdered in Minneapolis. “Our mayor and city council send us nothing more than thoughts and prayers, while ICE agents rampage our streets,” Ibarra said.

Once at the ICE facility, furious protesters stormed the driveway, occupying the street and gated entrance. They began banging on the walls, shaking the gate, yelling “We aren’t scared of you!” as agents began shooting projectiles from the roof into the crowd.

ICE’s initial violent attempts at crowd control did not deter protesters. When federal officers opened the gates, they launched tear gas canisters and flash bangs into the crowd. One protester described the scene, saying “it was like a war zone.”

Just the day before, federal agents gassed a crowd of thousands, including families and union leaders, sparking public outrage. The increasing use of chemical weapons in the heart of Southwest Portland increases the pressure on city officials to take action to shut down the facility.

Tear gas used against protesters on Sunday spread throughout SW Portland, even crossing the Willamette River impacting neighborhoods on the East side. Despite the volume of gas being deployed, a large crowd stood their ground outside the ICE facility until after midnight.

In response to the chemical warfare used against protesters, Mayor Keith Wilson put out a statement telling ICE agents to resign and stating he will begin implementing fees on the facility. Protesters cried out that this is not enough and will not solve the problem. They remain undeterred in their demand to close down the facility.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #KillerICE #AlexPretti #PDXCD #Feature

Portland, OR – On January 24, immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones held an emergency rally to protest the murder of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

Despite only a few hours’ notice, over 500 participants joined the rally, beginning at Elizabeth Caruthers Park and marching to the Portland ICE facility.

Speeches demanded justice for Alex Pretti and Renee Good, also murdered by ICE. They also demanded the city of Portland take immediate action to revoke the permit for the Portland ICE facility.

When at the Portland ICE facility, protesters occupied the driveway, banging on the doors and boarded-up windows. An industrial trashcan and other objects were pushed against the gate to the building. Protesters chanted, “You are murderers!” at the agents behind the gate.

In response, federal agents deployed chemical weapons on the protesters, such as HC gas, known for its serious health impacts.

The ICE facility is in a residential neighborhood, with an affordable housing complex directly across the street, that has been subject to chemicals like these for months, another reason why PDXCD demands the ICE facility is shut down.

Despite the chemical attacks, protesters maintained the driveway and did not back down. More and more people continued to show up as the night went on.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #KillerICE #AlexPretti #ReneeGood #PDXCD

Portland, OR – A January 21 protest at Portland City Hall to demand the revocation of the permit for the Portland ICE facility erupted as protesters shut down the city council meeting and were violently ejected from the building by Portland police.

Portland Contra Las Deportaciones called for the event after the Minneapolis murder of Renee Good and the Portland shooting by Border Patrol of Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Given the escalation in violence by ICE, the group urged city council and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson to take immediate action to shut down the ICE facility.

After a rally outside city hall with 60 in attendance, the group entered city hall for public comment. Members spoke to the urgency of the moment. A land use violation notice was issued to the Portland ICE facility in September 2025, and the city has yet to collect fines, or begin the revocation process.

“Portland City Council, this legislative body, needs to be treating this like the emergency situation it is.” said organizer Kacey Desantis in a public comment, “We have killer ICE in our streets and members of Portland’s own police force that agree with their actions. This is a public safety emergency.”

Mayor Keith Wilson put out a statement regarding the permit while the protest was underway stating, “Regarding the notice of violation issued to the ICE facility, we must follow the process. We cannot allow hasty action to prevent us from taking meaningful action.”

Given the slow pace at which the city is handling the process, some public commenters wonder if the mayor has his priorities straight.

“Mayor Wilson, it must be really hard to properly respond to this emergency situation when you are also busy being the CEO of a company. Your position aligns more with ICE landlord Stuart Lindquist than working Portlanders affected by your inaction. Mayor, do your job and protect the safety of all Portlanders by revoking the ICE permit now,” stated Desantis.

After public comment, the city council meeting began, and members of the audience began disrupting the meeting, demanding the council take immediate action to shut down the ICE facility, and letting them know there would be no business as usual while ICE terrorizes Portland.

The council left the room for a recess and activists refused to leave the chambers, chanting slogans such as “City council, do your job! Keith Wilson, do your job!”

The council meeting resumed, with all the councilors showing up on a screen, as they left the chambers to join the meeting virtually from their offices, behind locked doors.

The crowd decided to bring the protest to their offices and left the chambers to march to each of the offices in city hall.

Protesters stood outside their offices chanting “Face the people!” and knocking on the doors. Several councilors came out of their offices to take pictures of the protesters from behind glass doors and then rejoined the virtual meeting, refusing to speak with protesters.

After 30 minutes of occupying city hall, a group of Portland police officers approached the protest and informed the group that if they did not leave they would be arrested.

Activists linked arms and refused to move. Officers came behind them and violently pushed the group out of city hall, with activists resisting the entire way. The group was pushed backwards on a flight of stairs by police, and only through holding on to each other avoided serious injury. Protesters still refused to fully leave city hall and police then pepper-sprayed the group.

When outside, the group resolved to not let this stop them and to continue to come back and demand action from Portland officials to revoke the ICE permit.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #PDXCD

Portland, OR – Nearly one year since Donald Trump took office as president, hundreds of Portlanders gathered to protest his latest attacks in what has been a brutal year for the American people and people across the world at the hands of U.S. aggression.

On January 17, Portland contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) led the rally and march alongside Portland for Palestine and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS).

Starting with a 10 a.m. art-build, signs reading “ICE out of Portland” and “Revoke the ICE permit” piled up at Terry Schrunk Plaza, waiting to be taken up by incoming attendees of the demonstration. The “Revoke the ICE permit” signs relate to PDXCD’s campaign to shut down Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center, a building that has served as a central hub for ICE and other federal agencies, including the Oregon and California National Guard last October.

As over 400 people filed into the plaza for the rally, the emcee for the event started with a message about community, encouraging those in attendance to look around at their community members and know who their allies are in the fight against Trump and his attacks. The chant ‘Show me what community looks like!” echoed back with, “This is what community looks like!” filled the plaza and reverberated into nearby streets.

A speaker from Portland for Palestine, Jason Ohman, laid out the reality of what the people of the U.S. have been through in the last year, from the economic hardships and extensive layoffs of federal workers to the terror that ICE has reigned on the streets of the country, recently shooting and murdering Rene Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

Speakers from PDXCD featured a nurse who recently received retaliation from Portland’s Legacy Emanuel Hospital for distributing Know Your Rights information to other staff members. The hospital has recently come under fire for aiding and abetting ICE operations, violating HIPAA and allowing ICE officials to dictate the care of detainees, including early discharge.

Another speaker discussed the most recent abuses from ICE across the country, highlighting the shooting of two Venezuelan immigrants just last week in Portland by border patrol agents; both individuals who were discharged prematurely from Legacy Emanuel Hospital to ICE detention after suffering gunshot wounds.

From the Portland District of the FRSO, Omar Gil spoke on the importance of rising up and fighting back against Trump’s attack on the people. Gil recounts his experience at the Emergency Southwest Summit Against Deportations earlier last year in Los Angeles; “I saw people ready to fight back, ready to organize in defense of our families and neighbors, ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone and everyone that is ready to repel Trump’s attacks!”

Gil notes, “The most important thing we talked about that weekend was about the necessity to engage in struggle, rather than hiding and shrinking away. We need to pour gasoline on the fire that is the Trump presidency so that we can exact our demands!”

Militant struggle is the approach that Portland has taken directly when threatened with the National Guard occupation by Trump last year. While Democrat leaders of Portland and the state of Oregon told citizens to “not take the bait,” people poured into the streets surrounding the ICE facility in southwest Portland; a strategy that won the legal battle that blocked the National Guard from setting foot in Portland at all.

When the rally was wrapped up, a march ensued throughout downtown Portland. On a brisk and sunny winter day, many onlookers lined the streets and in intersections filming on their phones and giving gestures of support; some even joining in the march through the end.

Chants on the march were “Stand up, on your feet! Killer ICE off our streets!” and “Money for homes and education, not for war and occupation!” Police presence was heavy towards the back of the march, with many bike cops swarming the car that was tasked with following the march to ensure safety. One organizer directing traffic was threatened with arrest, citing that there was video evidence of alleged civil disorder; this was ultimately an empty threat.

The demonstration ended on a note of unity, with the emcee leading attendees in a chant, “An attack on one is an attack on all! United we stand, divided we fall!”

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – In the wake of ICE’s murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis , and the Border Patrol’s shooting of Luis Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras in Portland the day after, immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones staged several protests from January 7 – 9 calling for an immediate end to ICE murders and for justice for the victims of their terror.

On January 7, as news broke about Renee Nicole Good’s murder, Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) called an emergency vigil and solidarity rally at Terry Schrunk Plaza downtown, across from Portland City Hall. Despite only hours of notice, around 300 people attended to grieve and vow to not back down in the face of escalating repression from the Trump administration.

“If they thought they were gonna scare us into submission, they have another thing coming”, said Holly Brown of PDXCD, followed by chants of “Fuck ICE!” from the crowd.

Brown continued, “If anything, they have just made our movement even bigger and even stronger, because we’re not gonna be quiet or stand down.”

The speeches also demanded action from the Portland city council and Mayor Keith Wilson, primarily to revoke ICE’s conditional use permit to operate their facility in Portland’s South Waterfront neighborhood.

Beatriz Ibarra of PDXCD declared, “We demand that the city revoke the ICE permit and remove ICE from Portland entirely.”

The next day, on January 8, a group of organizers with PDXCD’s Revoke the ICE Permit campaign walked into City Hall and up to Mayor Wilson’s office to demand a meeting with him. The campaign had sent over 1000 emails to his office demanding a meeting and a step-by-step plan from him on how he would kick ICE out of Portland as soon as possible. They planned to occupy the space in front of his office until he did so.

Around 2:30 p.m., shortly after the group walked to his office door and demanded a meeting, a contractor for Mayor Wilson’s office told the group that an emergency occurred in Portland and that Mayor Wilson was on the phone with ICE and Portland Police Bureau (PPB). The contractor said the mayor would likely not be able to meet with them that day. The group said that ICE’s presence in Portland was the biggest emergency facing the city and insisted on a meeting immediately.

Holly Brown questioned, “Is that what the mayor wants? He wants us to wait until someone in Portland gets murdered by ICE?” Over the following minutes, the organizers and gathered news crews would learn via rapid response networks that Border Patrol agents had attempted to murder two Portland resident’s half an hour earlier. Action needed to be taken immediately.

PDXCD called their second emergency action in two days, a mobilization to the Portland ICE facility. Around 7:30 p.m., 400 people had gathered to occupy the street in front of the ICE facility. PPB later sent in vans full of riot police to force protesters onto the sidewalk, but the crowd continued to chant and block the facility’s driveway even while confined to the sidewalk. After roughly half an hour, PPB officers meekly climbed back into their vans and drove away, surrendering the street to protesters.

Later, PPB returned to once again force protesters onto the sidewalk. They then charged towards and arrested five protesters, including Seth Todd, the well-known “Portland Frog.” Many of those arrested intend to fight the trumped-up charges that are alleged. After another prolonged standoff between the people and the police, PPB once again retreated to their vans and fled the scene. The protest continued without further incidents.

The third day of protests organized by PDXCD, January 9, was another protest at the Portland ICE facility, continuing to protest the two shootings that had occurred over the previous days. The event began with a rally at nearby Elizabeth Caruthers Park and was attended by Portland for Palestine (P4P), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS). The rally reiterated the demands of revoking ICE’s permit in Portland and seeking justice for victims of ICE.

“No more fees, no more ineffective policies. What we need, what our city needs more than ever, is to rid our communities of these masked thugs!” said Andrew Nourie of P4P, “I call on city council and the mayor to revoke ICE’s land use permit!”

Some speakers at the rally pointed out how Portland city government is not only refusing to take action to protect the city’s inhabitants but actively harming those who are by using PPB to suppress them, as seen the day before.

Cass Cano of PDXCD noted, “For months we have heard from our elected officials that the federal government is just too powerful, that there’s nothing they can do. Yet every day I see ordinary people like me and you, like Renee Nicole Good, stand up to the federal government to protect immigrants. And now, when there’s been a murder at the hands of ICE, our city government, instead of protecting us, chooses to deploy riot police to brutalize us!”

Video evidence from January 8 shows one protester being repeatedly punched by a PPB officer despite already being restrained on the ground.

After the rally, the crowd of 450 marched south towards the ICE facility and once again occupy the area in front of it. On the way there, the crowd chanted “Stand up, on your feet! Killer ICE off our streets”

Unlike the day before though, PPB made no attempts to force protesters out of the street, instead opting to have a dozen officers group up at one end of the protest and stand there for over an hour. It is likely that negative coverage of their suppression of the previous day’s protest, as well as the larger crowd, led to this timid approach. Nobody was arrested for the duration of January 9 protest.

Mayor Keith Wilson and Portland city council’s unwillingness to treat ICE’s presence in Portland as an emergency continues to have consequences that harm and endanger the people of Portland. As the anti-ICE movement within the city continues to grow and gain strength, they will likely be faced with only two options. As said by the protesters, “Revocation or resign, how many more have to die?”

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #ReneeGood #PDXCD

Portland, OR – On Saturday, January 3, hundreds of Portlanders mobilized into the streets after the United States’ attack on Venezuela the night before, launching airstrikes and abducting President Nicolás Maduro.

The protest on January 3 was called by Portland for Palestine (P4) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and supported by Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD). It began at 2:30 p.m. across the street from Pioneer Courthouse Square, in the heart of downtown. Around 150 people chanted “Hands off Venezuela now! Free Maduro, free him now!” and “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil! Hands off Venezuelan soil!”

Cole Dunahugh of P4P told the crowd, “This is a war for oil, but it is also a war to do regime change on one of the few anti-Zionist governments currently standing. Venezuela cut all ties with Israel in 2009, and continues to support the resistance in their shared fight against U.S. imperialism.” Dunahugh went on to say, “The United States may have Maduro, but they do not have the vice president, they do not have the defense minister, they do not have the interior minister, and they will not have Venezuela!”

“The Venezuelan government has been a target of the United States for decades,” explained Fern Long, an organizer with P4P, “These economic foreign policies of violence and terror, such as naval blockades, sanctions and no fly zones have now become more overt. Night operations and bombings in the capital of Caracas, striking not just military assets but targeting grave sites and residential zones, while the government that fails to represent us, the people of the United States, actively continues and escalates a war on multiple fronts providing nothing but death and despair for the people.”

Around 3:30 p.m., the protest at Pioneer Square had grown to over 200 people, and marched to meet another protest.

Like protests that happened all across the country on January 3, these were organized within hours of the airstrikes on Caracas, showing the heightened level of organization of recent years, as well as the overwhelming unpopularity of the Trump administration’s violation of Venezuelan sovereignty. The anti-war movement is in a period of rapid growth and will only continue to be so as the American empire continues to decline and lash out.

#PortlandOR #OR #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #P4P #PDXCD #FRSO

Portland, OR – Since the start of December, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson was confronted twice by activists from the Revoke the ICE Permit campaign over his lack of any meaningful actions against ICE.

These have been part of an ongoing effort from the campaign and Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) to secure a meeting with him and demand an action plan for shutting down the Portland ICE facility as soon as possible.

The first confrontation was on December 5, at a brewery in Southeast Portland. Keith Wilson attended a beer launch and was approached by Holly Brown of PDXCD. After she introduced herself, he immediately walked away and dismissed her as she asked what his office planned to do to protect the people of Portland from ICE. Wilson said, “We’re trying to celebrate,” to which Brown responded, “It’s hard to celebrate when people are being kidnapped off our streets.”

At least 467 people have been detained by ICE in northwest Oregon since the beginning of November, with the vast majority having been detained in the Portland metropolitan area.

Mayor Wilson had the owners of the brewery remove Brown from the building, as well as others who were there to ask why he was doing so little to fight back against ICE. “That’s enough,” he said, before turning away from his constituents. The owner of the brewery then called the cops on the activists for simply asking the mayor questions at a public event.

Later that night, the same activists were able to catch him coming out of the brewery and ask more questions. Brown asked the mayor, “We want the [ICE] facility to be shut down, we know that you have the ability to make executive orders, and you are also able to speak directly to Permitting & Development. So I would like to know, are you doing this? Are you working on that?” Portland Permitting & Development is the government department with the power to begin the process of revoking ICE’s conditional use permit; it is a department the mayor has control over. Wilson said, “We’ll talk about this later” and refused to provide information on whether he’d host a town hall or other event where people can directly ask him questions about ICE.

The second confrontation came on December 8, where Mayor Wilson was a guest speaker at a city event in Northeast Portland on the topic of public safety. He was asked pre-selected questions and, despite it being the largest threat to public safety in Portland, he was only asked one question about ICE. That question asked how the city planned to address the ICE facility. At the start of his response, he emphasized that Portland must focus on “peaceful protest” and “staying between the guardrails.” On the topic of the National Guard deployment that loomed over the city from late September into early November, the mayor proudly stated, “forces were sent and they were garrisoned outside our city, we didn’t react.”

In reality, Portland reacted with a fight when Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard, with PDXCD holding a militant protest in front of the ICE Facility the day after the announcement. Due to Portland’s resistance, the deployment was defeated.

Mayor Wilson wrapped up his response by saying “We will continue to do what we do, we will continue to work with the governor, we will continue to meet them in the court of law, and we will win”. In response to this, Cole Dunahugh of the Revoke the ICE Permit campaign stood up and demanded an explanation for why Permitting & Development has given the landlord for the Portland ICE facility, Stuart Lindquist, two extensions on the deadline for him to file an appeal to the notice of land use violation he was served on September 17.

“Why are you not doing every single thing in your power to get that permit revoked? ICE is abducting hundreds of people per month, and you are sitting there, doing nothing.”

In response, Wilson said, “That’s our laws, that’s our rules”. He claimed that the city was required to give him a 14-day extension, despite extensions being discretionary, and the fact that Portland city government gave him well over a month of extensions. When Dunahugh brought this up, he didn’t respond further. These extensions ran out on December 1. Wilson and Permitting & Development have shown no signs of moving forward with the permit reconsideration process.

So long as Mayor Wilson refuses to engage with the people of Portland, and so long as he refuses to take action to revoke ICE’s permit for their Portland facility, PDXCD and the Revoke the ICE Permit campaign are committed to being wherever he shows his face and demanding accountability.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #ICE

Portland, OR – Después de semanas de grandes movilizaciones ubicadas en el centro de ICE de Portland, un juez federal bloqueó permanentemente el despliegue de la Guardia Nacional en Portland el 7 de noviembre, y un oficio de alto nivel del Departamento de Defensa confirmó con los medios que 200 policías de la Guardia Nacional de California se mandarán a regresar durante los próximos días.

Trump anunció el despliegue de la Guardia Nacional para vigilar el complejo de ICE de Portland el 27 de septiembre, lo cual causó una batalla en las calles entre los manifestantes y la administración que duró más de un mes, y resultó en decisiones a favor de los manifestantes.

Ha habido una presencia firme de los manifestantes delante del centro de ICE desde el junio 2025, cuando aumentaron en número las redadas. El desplegar de la Guardia Nacional se anunció una semana después de que la ciudad anunció una citación al centro de ICE por violar el acuerdo de uso de tierra por tener detenidos por más del máximo de 12 horas, un acto urgido por las activistas locales, como parte de la campaña para revocar el permiso de ICE y para acabar con el complejo.

Después del anuncio del despliegue de la guardia nacional, los números se aumentaron en el centro de ICE, con grandes manifestaciones encabezadas por el grupo Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD), una organización de derechos de los inmigrantes que dirigió protestas semanales de más de 400 personas en el centro de ICE, durantes las cuales cerraron el paso del camino de entrada y siguieron exigiendo la revocación del permiso.

Las manifestaciones continuas ocurrieron a pesar de los políticos de Oregon tales como el Senador Jeff Merkley quien dijo a los Portlanders “no muerdan el anzuelo” y que se queden lejos de los centros de ICE o arriesgar la introducción de medidas severas.

Los organizadores con PDXCD rechazaron su recomendación y enfrentaron a Trump preparados para la batalla. “No nos escondemos de la administración de Trump cuando intenta a cumplir con su agenda xenofóbica y racista en las calles de nuestra ciudad mediante el ejército,” dijo la organizadora Blaire Glennon.

Durante las semanas de manifestaciones después del anuncio del despliegue, el DSN detuvo a muchos manifestantes. El número mayor de las detenciones ocurrió el 4 de octubre, cuando los organizadores principales de la manifestación fueron arrestados durante los primeros 15 minutos de la acción, en una detención evidentemente premeditada.

En los procedimientos de la corte, fue revelado más tarde que la Guardia Nacional estaba presente en el centro de ICE el 4 de octubre, en plena violación a una orden de restricción temporaria impuesta contra el despliegue en la corte.

Los organizadores se animaron con prisa a proteger a los manifestantes, creando equipos de defensa legal para contraatacar la represión, mientras no dejar que arrestara el protestar en el centro de ICE.

Mientras las manifestaciones seguían con fuerza en el complejo de ICE, los organizadores llevaron a cabo la batalla contra el despliegue de la Guardia Nacional. El juicio desempeñó en relación a las manifestaciones en el Centro de ICE, como más atención de los medios se atraía mientras los manifestantes relevaban los abusos por parte de DSN y ICE, y la valentía de los manifestantes, las cortes empezaron a oponer más firmemente el despliegue, resultando en la prohibición final.

“Se debe a la gente y solo a la gente que el despliegue de la Guardia Nacional fue bloqueado. Por sostener la presión al gobierno con manifestaciones en las cuales no nos rendimos, les mostramos que sería un error enviar la guardia a Portland,” comentó la organizadora Emily Brown.

La administración de Trump contesta la prohibición permanente, y se anticipa que el juicio seguirá.

En la localidad, los manifestantes continúan a presionar a los oficios de la ciudad; PDXCD planea un protesta en la alcaldía este miércoles, el 19 de noviembre, para protestar contra una ordenanza para crear un “Centro de Detención Sin Impacto” propuesta por los Concejales de Portland Angelita Morillo y Mitch Green para imponerles una multa a los dueños privados de los centros de detención por los costos incurridos a la ciudad como resultado de las manifestaciones en las áreas cercanas. Los organizadores dicen que esto no cumple con las reivindicaciones expresadas por los Portlanders y exigen la revocación total del permiso y que el centro se cierre. 60 días han pasado desde que la citación inicial fue proporcionada y así según la ley de la ciudad el proceso de revocar el permiso puede comenzar.

Los manifestantes piensan enfrentar cada desarrollo nuevo con movilizaciones a las calles.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #DerechosDeLosInmigrantes #Trump #NationalGuard #GuardiaNacional

Portland, OR – Tensions were high Wednesday night, November 19, as activists rallied against Councilor Angelita Morillo and Mitch Greens’ proposed Detention Facility Impact Fee, calling it a capitulation and effort to avoid revoking the ICE permit.

The proposed ordinance would charge private landlords of detention facilities for any costs the city incurs as a result of the facility being in Portland. This would include recouping money the city spends on police for crowd control to harass protesters at the ICE facility.

Protesters rallied outside city hall at 5 p.m. with calls to reject the ordinance and called for city council to instead focus on shutting down the ICE facility entirely and then entered the chambers for over an hour of public testimony, overwhelmingly against the ordinance and in favor of revoking the permit.

“Councilor Morillo stated this ordinance is the city's response to the harms being committed by ICE at the Portland ICE facility, and any future ICE facilities in Portland,” said activist Kacey Desantis, referring to Instagram posts by the councilor, “with this proposal she makes it clear the councilors do not plan to fight the construction of more ICE detention centers, just charge fees so the city does not feel the costs of those facilities – the city would effectively be getting paid off to allow more ICE facilities in Portland. We don’t want more ICE facilities, and we want the one we have shut down.”

Councilor Green and Morillo seemed to agree. A presentation by Morillo’s staffer during the discussion in the meeting stated this was not a “moralizing” ordinance but was meant to “optimize market outcomes.”

Testimony centered around a few key points.

Testifiers called out the fact that Morillo made statements that the fee would not even apply to the ICE facility unless a new contract was signed with the landlord, meaning it would not even address the issue it is claiming to solve for the foreseeable future.

Others spoke to concerns surrounding the lack of detail as to where the money would go. The councilors stated money raised through the fee will go to residents dealing with teargas from the ICE Facility, but nowhere in the ordinance does it outline that this is required or how it will occur.

In addition, that some of the money will go to overtime pay for Portland Police Bureau for carrying out “crowd control” at the ICE facility, meaning the city will be getting paid by ICE to manage protests at the ICE facility.

Many expressed anger at the council spending time on what they view as an ordinance wholly incapable of meeting the level of terror ICE is committing on the streets of Portland, and for placing a price on human suffering.

“Don’t you dare think for a second that this non-solution will convince us to let up the pressure,” said testifier Isabella Shepard, “We will accept nothing less than the revocation of the permit.”

Almost all of those testifying called for the city to move quickly to revoke the ICE permit and shut down the Portland ICE facility.

Throughout the meeting tensions boiled over with attendees yelling out their frustration at the lack of substantive action by city council, and getting ejected from the meeting.

The process for revoking the permit continues to move at a snail's pace in Portland. Stuart Lindquist, the landlord for the ICE facility, filed an appeal of the land use violation issued to him in September for the facility holding detainees past the 12-hour limit. He appealed this violation, and had a deadline of October 31 to submit any documentation, but the city granted him an extension to December 1, due to his claim that the government shutdown hindered his ability to get data, despite the fact that ICE operations reached a high in Portland during this shutdown, with 560 people arrested by ICE in Portland during the last month alone.

Activists vowed not to let up the pressure and continue to force the city to take action to revoke the permit immediately.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – After weeks of large mobilizations to the Portland ICE facility, a federal judge permanently blocked the deployment of the National Guard to Portland on November 7, and a top Defense Department official confirmed with media 200 California National Guard troops in Oregon will be sent home over the next few days.

Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard to guard the Portland ICE facility on September 27, prompting a battle in the streets between protesters and the administration that lasted for over a month, and led to court decisions in favor of the protesters.

There has been a steady presence of protesters in front of the ICE facility since June 2025, when raids began to surge. The deployment of the National Guard was announced one week after the city announced a citation to the ICE facility for violating its land use agreement by holding detainees over the 12-hour limit, a move pushed for by local activists, as a part of a campaign to revoke the ICE permit and shut down the facility.

After the announcement of the deployment of the national guard, numbers swelled at the ICE facility, with large protests led by Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD), a Portland immigrant rights organization that led weekly protests of over 400 people at the ICE facility, in which they blocked the driveway and continuing to demand the revocation of the permit.

The continuous protests were despite Oregon officials like Senator Jeff Merkley telling Portlanders “don’t take the bait” and to stay away from the ICE facility or else risk further crackdown.

Organizers with PDXCD rejected this perspective and met Trump with a fight. “We don’t hide from the Trump administration when they try to carry out their xenophobic and racist agenda in the streets of our city using the military,” said organizer Blaire Glennon.

Throughout the weeks of protests after the announcement of the deployment, DHS arrested many protesters. The highest number of arrests occurred on October 4, in which the main organizers of the protest were arrested during the first 15 minutes of the action, in a seemingly targeted arrest.

In the court proceedings, it was later revealed the National Guard was present in the ICE facility on October 4, despite a temporary restraining order placed against the deployment in court.

Organizers leaped into action to protect protesters, creating a legal defense team to fight back against repression, while not allowing it to stop them from protesting at the ICE facility.

While protests raged on at the ICE facility, a battle was waged in court against the deployment of the National Guard. The court case proceeded in relation to the protests at the ICE facility, as more media attention was gathered by the protesters showing the abuse of DHS and ICE, and the fearlessness of the protesters, the courts moved to more firmly oppose the deployment, leading to the final permanent ban.

“It is due to the people and the people alone that the National Guard deployment was blocked. Through keeping up the pressure on the government with protests in which we would not back down, we showed them it would be a mistake to send the guard to Portland,” said organizer Emily Brown.

The Trump administration is appealing the permanent ban, and the court case is expected to continue forward.

Locally, protesters continue to push city officials; PDXCD is planning a protest at city hall this Wednesday, November 19, to rally against a “Detention Facility Impact Fee” ordinance proposed by Portland Councilors Angelita Morillo and Mitch Green to find private owners of detention facilities for any costs the city incurs as a result of protests in the surrounding area. Organizers say this does not meet the demands raised by Portlanders and demand the full revocation of the permit and for the facility to be shut down. 60 days have passed since the initial citation was issued and so per city code the revocation process to revoke the permit can begin.

Protesters plan to meet each new development by mobilizing into the streets.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #NationalGuard #Trump

Portland, OR – Despite a rainstorm, hundreds of Portlanders mobilized on Saturday, October 25 to the Portland ICE Facility to protest the deployment of the National Guard and increased ICE attacks, and to demand the city revoke the land use permit for the ICE Facility. One protester was arrested during the event.

In less than a month the city can begin the process of revoking the permit for the ICE facility.

“It is not [the Portland city council] that lends its permission to operate the ICE facility, but ours. As such, the decision is ours to end permissive behaviors to rogue groups [such as ICE] that seek solely to break our common bonds,” Jason Ohmann, a protester and member of the safety team at the protest stated, adding, “It is important to protest ICE to protect all the members of our community – we are not asking them to heed our wishes and stand down. We are showing them that eventually we can give them no other option but to do so.”

Emboldened by the promise of the National Guard deployment, DHS officials guarding the ICE Facility have increased aggression towards protesters with the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray. One protester was arrested and detained, while other protesters were indiscriminately shot with rubber bullets.

One protester, Catie Donovan, expressed, “ICE agents have violated the rules of detention by holding people 12 hours and overnight. This continues to prove that they don’t care about the safety or protection of the human beings they are taking off the street,” saying that ICE agents “are unnecessarily aggressive. Shooting rubber bullets indiscriminately into the crowd from the safety of their roof.”

Currently the National Guard is barred from entering Portland until 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 30. If the courts allow this deployment, the situation will escalate. The only option left for city officials is to heed the voices of Portlanders and revoke the ICE facility land use permit.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Trump #PDXCD #Feature

Portland, OR – On September 28, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Portland ICE facility to stand against Trump’s deployment of federal troops to Portland. The protest was called by Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD) in collaboration with other groups such as Portland for Palestine, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and PDX ICE Watch.

The protest came a day after city officials convened a press conference at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Northeast Portland to reject the federal occupation, but they also called for a hands-off approach in resisting.

“We are not going to take the bait,” said U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley during the press conference, “This is the ‘don’t take the bait’ press conference. Our responsibility is to yes, express our views, yes protest. But best done at a distance from these federal troops.”

Organizers with Portland Contra Las Deportaciones saw things differently.

“Now is not the time to lay low or avoid confrontation with the federal government,” said Omar Gil, “when Trump is sending troops into our city we have a responsibility to respond forcefully like we’ve seen Chicago do. That is the only way to get him to back down.”

Rather than protesting at a distance, the ICE facility was chosen as the location of the protest as it has been a launch pad for federal agents over the last few months, and a large number of increased agents descended upon the building at the time of Trump’s announcement.

In a seemingly retaliatory move, Trump announced the deployment of federal troops to protect the ICE facility a week after the city of Portland issued a land use violation to the owner of the building, after a campaign fought for by community groups like PDXCD to shut down the facility.

DHS and ICE agents came out in riot gear during the protest to push back protesters in order to allow cars to enter and leave the facility, but protesters stood their ground and blocked vehicles from entering. DHS and ICE responded with force, shoving and pepper spraying the crowd. At one point a civilian tried to drive a car through the protest but was stopped by protesters and forced to turn around.

The protest ended with a call to continue to show up, and to keep working to shut down the ICE facility.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #Trump #Feature

Portland, OR – On Wednesday, September 17, the city of Portland issued notices of land use violations to the building owner of the ICE facility in the South Waterfront neighborhood of Portland.

This comes after months of protests and action by community groups like Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD), which founded a coalition called Revoke the ICE Permit PDX, and others to demand the permit for the facility be revoked and that it is shut down. The facility has been at the center of protests for months, with a near constant presence of protesters standing against ICE. A petition to shut down the facility now has over 17,000 signatures.

The violation notice issued to the building owner is for holding detainees past a 12-hour detention limit stipulated by a conditional use permit granted in 2011. In just ten months alone, ICE has violated this condition over a dozen times, in one case, holding a detainee for 47 days.

The notice of violations starts a process in which the city can hold reconsideration hearings to revoke the permit 60 days after the violation notice is issued. It is up to the director of the Office of Permitting and Development to initiate the reconsideration hearings. Organizers demand this should be done, and that the city move as quickly as possible.

“While we are glad the city is taking the first steps to shut down this facility, we know it only happened as a result of the tireless organizing from regular people to make this happen,” said Omar Gil, an organizer with PDXCD, “So we plan to keep up the pressure and make sure that building is shut down; we believe the city should do this even sooner than the 60-day waiting period.”

Councilors like Angelita Morillo stated council members cannot comment on the violations, or they risk being removed from the hearing if it reaches city council, but organizers have a different perspective.

“Now is not the time for our city officials to hide, it is time for them to fight. No longer should they hide behind processes to justify silence, we need them to take a firm stance to revoke the permit now,” said Cass Cano, an organizer with PDXCD.

On the same day the city announced it would be issuing the notice of violation, Revoke the ICE Permit held a protest at city hal l, and disrupted the meeting several times.

Isabella Shepard was one of the activists to disrupt the meeting by stating, “City Council: We will not have business as usual while ICE continues to terrorize our community in violation of the law.”

After several disruptions the organizers were removed from the meeting by security and asked to sign ejection forms banning them from city council for 30 days, which they refused.

Revoke the ICE Permit and PDXCD put out a statement after the notice of violations was served, vowing to continue to fight until the permit is revoked.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #PDXCD #Feature

Portland, OR – On Thursday, June 5, organizations Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) and Portland for Palestine (P4P) held a joint press conference to announce the success of their campaign against politically-motivated fines levied against two vehicular support activists who helped escort an anti-deportation march back in February.

The drivers, Michele Darr and Harlan Shober, were pulled over away from the rest of the crowd and collectively fined over $2000 in traffic violations for keeping the protest safe from traffic as it moved through the streets.

After a public pressure campaign, as well as legal assistance from the National Lawyers Guild, the fines and the charges associated with them were dropped by city attorneys. This case sets the precedent for all future marches in Portland escorted by vehicles, affirming their right to protect themselves. To quote Mike Porter, senior deputy city attorney, “Assuming no other complicating factors [criminal acts], the police will not be citing people who are facilitating traffic control around protests.”

“If there’s anything to take away from our struggle against these citations, it’s that when the people stand united, we can never be defeated! It is our unity that allows us victories like this one in the face of repression. And for the Portland Police Bureau, know that when you fail to serve and protect the people, you will be met with resistance,” said PDXCD organizer Omar Gil.

In her speech, Michele Darr declared, “We are not afraid to make noise for justice. When we dare to struggle, we dare to win!”

#PortlandOR #OR #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #PDXCD #P4P #ImmigrantRights #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Portland, OR – May Day was a busy one in Portland, as four events were held throughout the day and into the evening. These collectively mobilized thousands of people to resist the Trump agenda and to fight for workers and immigrants’ rights.

The first event of the day was organized by 50501 Portland Oregon, with many other organizations present or even speaking, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD), Democratic Socialists of America, and local unions such as Oregon Nurses Association and SEIU Local 503. The rally began at Portland State University at 1 p.m., followed by a march around downtown Portland.

Cass Cano of PDXCD spoke on the injustices of the U.S. immigration system, stating, “The path to obtaining green card status is full of hurdles. Whether it be the legal costs or the chance that any little error will get your case closed and possibly even deported. No one deserves to live like this, where at any moment they may be ripped away from their families and community! No one deserves to live afraid of going to school, work, or shopping, always worrying about their safety.”

The next event in the day was a rally at Pioneer Courthouse Square downtown at 4:30 p.m., organized by 50501 Portland (distinct from the previously mentioned 50501 group) and Indivisible Oregon. The demands of this event included stable housing, union protection and education for all, regardless of immigration status.

The third event of the day and the final one taking place downtown was a rally organized by the Portland Association of Teachers at Terry Schrunk Plaza at 5:30 p.m. Demands centered on the actions of the Trump administration, calling for an end to attacks on oppressed communities, Social Security and Medicaid.

At the same time, FRSO and PDXCD organized a march and rally in Southeast Portland, at Sewallcrest Park. Palestinian liberation, immigrant rights, and the growing labor movement were the main topics addressed. Omar Gil of FRSO galvanized the crowd to act by saying, “We must unite the many to defeat the few. Power is never conceded, it is won,” and later declaring, “Whether it be at the workplace, in the fields, or in our neighborhoods, the time now is not one to hide but rather to stand firmly shoulder to shoulder with each other and fight back!”

After the rally, the crowd took to the streets of Southeast Portland, with expressions of solidarity coming from onlookers and chants of “Who’s got the power? We got the power!” and “Union power on the rise, now’s the time to organize!”

This year’s May Day demonstrations showed increased public anger following the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term, anger that shows no signs of subsiding and that is now being focused towards mobilizing against the system that gave us Trump in the first place.

#PortlandOR #OR #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – On Sunday, March 23, Portlanders rallied at Terry Schrunk Plaza to reject the Trump administration’s mass deportations and demand legalization for all undocumented immigrants in the United States. The assembled crowd was 100 strong and was made up of people of all ages.

Sky Reimer, a member of Students for a Democratic Society at Portland State University (SDS) spoke on the need for solidarity between the student, anti-war and immigrant rights movements, citing ICE’s detainment of Palestinian student activists Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia. Reimer. They said, “These racist policies of our universities aren't just happening at Columbia, they are happening countrywide.” Reimer later said, “By getting into the streets to protest Trump's agenda, we prove that the people hold the power, that we hold the power.”

Cass Cano of Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) brought up the paper-thin justifications used by ICE to detain and deport immigrants, including incredibly broad definitions of gang affiliation tattoos. Over 200 Venezuelan immigrants were recently detained by ICE and moved to an El Salvadorian prison with a history of human rights abuses. These immigrants were not given due process. “The cruelty is the point,” Cano explained.

Holly Brown of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) declared, “The so-called ‘war on immigration’ is nothing more than a war on the working class. It is a war designed to keep people in constant fear – fear of deportation, fear of detention, fear of separation from families. It is designed to create a permanent underclass of workers who can be exploited without the full rights and protections that should belong to every human being, no matter where they were born!”

After the speeches, the crowd took to the streets and marched through downtown Portland, chanting, “No ban, no wall, legalize them all!” and “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state!” Bystanders voiced their solidarity as the march went by, and some joined along.

This protest came one month after another pro-immigrant march organized by many of the same groups, in which organizers were harassed by the Portland Police Bureau and fined over $2000 for traffic violations. The groups involved are still in the process of fighting these politically motivated fines, and demand that the citations be dropped by Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Police Chief Bob Day.

#PortlandOR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – On Monday, March 3, organizations involved in the February 23 anti-deportation protest held a press conference outside the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) central precinct headquarters to speak out against police harassment of protest organizers, harassment that endangered people participating in the march.

Speaking at the press conference were organizers from Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD), Portland for Palestine (P4P), and Extinction Rebellion. News organizations attending the conference included The Oregonian, KOIN, KATU and KGW.

Beatriz Ibarra, a member of PDXCD, explained to the gathered press, “To ensure the safety of the demonstrators in the march, cars and a decommissioned fire truck driven by supporters led and followed the crowd.”

Ibarra went on to say, “Before the march started, we had come to an agreement with a police officer that the march was cleared to go by the First Amendment. Despite this understanding, the police officers intimidated organizers in a process of aggressive but cowardly bullying that culminated in physical harassment of the protesters, and citations were given to two vehicles.” The fines from the citations totaled over $2000.

Bella Smith, who was harassed by a police officer at the march stated, “As a marshal with a high visibility vest, my job is to protect protesters from things like motor vehicles as they move through the streets. While the protest was at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Madison, a police officer hit me with his motorcycle, then immediately started threatening me with a citation, not asking if I was okay. Hitting me with a motorcycle for protecting the protesters from motor vehicles proves exactly why my role was necessary. We cannot allow there to be a precedent that keeping people safe comes with the penalty of being harassed, cited and assaulted with a deadly weapon.”

Michele Darr of P4P, one of the drivers for the protest, stated, “I have provided vehicular crowd support countless times before, ensuring the safety of people exercising their First Amendment rights. I have never experienced any problems – until now.” Darr then detailed the underhanded way in which PPB handed out the citations, “The citations were not issued at the time when the violations allegedly occurred, but an hour later and several blocks away. This blatant attempt to fracture the infrastructure of support and thereby silence our calls for justice is not only illegal, it’s an unacceptable incursion on our first amendment rights.”

Closing out the press conference was Omar Gil of PDXCD, who announced the plans of the coalition going forward, “We plan to fight the fines in traffic court and also launch a civil lawsuit against the Portland Police Bureau for their attacks on our First Amendment rights and for directly interfering with the safety of our protest.”

Gil then reiterated the demands of the coalition, urging the mayor and police chief to end the harassment and drop the fines, stating, “Mayor Keith Wilson claims he stands with immigrants and has stated his intent to uphold Oregon’s status as a sanctuary state. And yet, under his watch, Portland Police are repressing pro-immigrant protests. We want more than just words, we want action. We demand Keith Wilson and Bob Day drop the fines and end the harassment of protesters.”

After a question and answer section at the end, P4P and PDXCD rallied outside the police precinct, with chants of “Bob Day, drop the fines! We will not pay a dime!” and “We will not be silent! PPB end the violence!”

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #PDXCD