8 arrests as federal police clear entrance to Portland ICE building

Federal officers in riot gear moved into the protest siege of ICE headquarters in Southwest Portland at 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

Author: Michael Rollins
Published: 5:44 AM PDT June 28, 2018
Updated: 9:29 AM PDT June 28, 2018


PORTLAND, Ore. — Eight people were arrested Thursday morning after federal officers in riot gear moved in to clear the entrance to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Southwest Portland.

"At approximately 5:30 a.m. today, federal law enforcement officers initiated a law enforcement action to reopen the federal facility at 4310 SW Macadam Avenue in Portland," Federal Protective Service spokesman Robert Sperling said in a prepared statement .

PHOTOS: Federal police clear ICE facility in Portland
PHOTOS: Federal police clear ICE facility in Portland
























































Officers cleared the entrance to the building. It was unclear what happened to the protesters who were camped by the entrance. Several appeared to be taken into custody early on in the police action.

Sperling did not know what charges were posted against the eight people who were later arrested. He said the sweep of the entrance was peaceful.

Police took no action against those who set up a camp alongside the building. Sperling said those outside ICE property would not be removed, and police would not interact with them. "We don't want to impede their freedom of speech," he said.

VIDEO: Sky8: Federal police clear ICE facility in SW Portland



He said to expect a federal police presence around the ICE building "for the foreseeable future," and that the next step was for the facility to reopen for "business as usual" sometime next week.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, who also serves as police commissioner, has declined to provide assistance from the Portland Police Bureau to Department of Homeland Security during the siege.

Sperling said the two police agencies continue a cooperative relationship and that Portland police were made aware of the action Thursday morning.

A protest camp coordinator, Lillith Sinclair, told KGW that Homeland Security officers "have been playing mind games" for several days.

Sinclair said cardboard cutouts of officers were placed in the ICE building windows to make it appear their presence was larger. She also accused Homeland Security of playing loud music at night to keep protesters awake, and she said one officer walked around with an eagle mask on his head.

Before the Thursday morning sweep, notices that outlined trespassing laws protesters were violating were handed out and posted for three consecutive days. Sinclair said the flyers were only about trespassing and did not give notice of Thursday's evacuation.

Portland is a sanctuary city and it is actually ICE that is in violation of the law, Sinclair said. Her group, Occupy ICE PDX, wants ICE removed from Oregon and abolished in its entirety as a federal agency.

The Occupy ICE PDX protest is in its second week. Thursday marked the ninth day the Portland ICE office has been closed because of the protests.

Background: Portland ICE facility closed due to protests

As officers cleared the entrance Thursday morning, truckloads of tents, boards, even a couch, were hauled away from the entrance.

TriMet announced that there would be no service at stops on Southwest Moody, River Parkway, Macadam and Boundary during this incident.

'ICE is stupid': Portland commissioner to Occupy ICE PDX protesters
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The ice building enforcement is underway, this is as we walked up they were arresting someone connected to this vehicle trying to enter Macadam. @KGWNews @KGWSunrisepic.twitter.com/sKcgdwGly3
— Tim Gordon (@TimGordonPDX) June 28, 2018
Federal officers at ICE building in Southwest Portland. Clearing way for business to resume here. Area that is not federal property and not in way of people coming and going from building appear to be left alone. A few officers are on the roof. @KGWNews @KGWSunrisepic.twitter.com/B6uQ0XgWoi
— Tim Gordon (@TimGordonPDX) June 28, 2018
Macadam is blocked a few blocks from the ICE building. Enforcement against protesters underway. Avoid the area. @KGWNewspic.twitter.com/Q4YoMQ8mVG
— Tim Gordon (@TimGordonPDX) June 28, 2018"

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/spe.../283-568545757