Portland Approves New Waterfront ICE Facility

April Baer | October 5, 2011 | Portland, OR

The Portland City Council has voted to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to move into a new facility in the city's South Waterfront.

A lengthy permitting process drew opponents from the South Waterfront neighborhood.

But ultimately, city commissioners said they were satisfied the facility would pose no more risk than its predecessor. ICE conducts operations in a downtown building on Broadway.

Commissioner Amanda Fritz said she was willing to give ICE leeway to perform its work.

"Their job is to deport people - to process folks who are undocumented, and when they deem fit, for folks to be taken to Tacoma and then deported," Fritz said.

Fritz said it didn't seem likely to her ICE would release people who presented a security risk. Law enforcement submitted evidence to council that the current facility has not presented security problems.

http://news.opb.org/article/portland-ap ... -facility/