As Anti-ICE Fight Grows, Advocates Are Divided About Portland Facility

Portland activists are intensifying their protests against ICE as the agency escalates detentions and deportations of immigrants, including those seeking asylum. Nearly 15,000 signatures on an online petition call for the city council to revoke ICE's conditional use permit for its holding facility in the South Waterfront, which some argue contradicts Portland’s sanctuary city status. However, opinions among advocates are split; some believe that revoking the permit might not effectively reduce ICE's operations and could negatively impact those detained. Activists have a history of opposing ICE's presence, with significant protests occurring in 2018 in response to family separation policies. Susan Anglada Bartley, the petition's creator, remains hopeful about current organizing efforts and believes they may succeed this time.

The permit allows ICE to operate with conditions, including limitations on how long detainees can be held. Activists argue that closing the facility would hinder ICE's ability to conduct arrests in the area. The ongoing debate highlights the complex dynamics and philosophical differences within the activist community regarding how best to combat ICE’s presence in Portland.