Portland to Address Land Use Violations at ICE Facility

Tue Sep 30 2025 03:58:03 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The city of Portland is set to issue a land use violation notice to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, citing multiple violations related to detention limits.

Portland, Oregon plans to issue a land use violation notice to its ICE facility, accusing it of exceeding limits on detaining individuals. The city claims that the facility violated its conditional approval 25 times within a ten-month period, with Mayor Keith Wilson expressing pride in the thorough investigation leading to this action. Protests against the facility have become more frequent, reflecting ongoing community concerns about immigration practices and law enforcement.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland, Oregon, has decided to issue a land use violation notice to the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, alleging violations concerning the detention of individuals. The conditional land use approval for this facility, enacted in 2011, stipulates that individuals cannot be held overnight or for more than 12 hours.

The city's investigation revealed that this provision was reportedly breached 25 times in a ten-month span from October to July, raising serious concerns about compliance. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made clear detention limitation commitments to our community, and we believe they broke those policies more than two dozen times, stated Portland Mayor Keith Wilson. I am proud of our team for conducting a thorough, thoughtful investigation and referring this matter for the next steps in the land use violation process.

The issuance of the notice is expected to occur on Thursday, although ICE has yet to provide a statement regarding these allegations.

The facility has recently seen increased protests, particularly during the evenings, peaking in June. These protests, often led by immigration and legal advocates along with other community members, have become a fixture outside the building, with many aiming to offer support to individuals arriving at the facility. Activists dressed in black have also gathered at night, signaling a community response to local immigration enforcement practices.

Portland's recent move to investigate the ICE facility was prompted by public complaints and data shared by ICE with the Deportation Data Project, indicating multiple recent breaches of the agreed-upon detention limits. The city’s permitting bureau confirmed that the most recent incident occurred on May 20, highlighting the recurrent nature of these violations.

In line with Portland's sanctuary city policy, local law enforcement do not enforce federal immigration laws, a stance supported by Oregon state law that restricts cooperation with federal immigration enforcement without a warrant. Under the city’s regulations, after receiving a violation notice, landowners have 30 days to rectify the situation before potential fines can be issued. The permitting bureau may also initiate a reconsideration of the land use approval if further violations are indicated, which could involve a public hearing process.