Portland’s progressive-led City Council is actively considering whether to revoke the federal permit allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate a contentious detention and administrative facility in the city’s South Waterfront district, citing alleged violations of a 2011 conditional-use agreement.
The debate, held during a packed community and public safety committee hearing last week, centers on ICE’s reported failure to comply with a key provision of its permit — specifically, the requirement that detainees be held no longer than 12 hours. According to a local report, ICE has allegedly breached this limit more than two dozen times, triggering calls from city officials and residents to shut down the facility.
“This is about the rule of law,” Council Member Angelita Morillo said. “If we allow ICE to continue to operate when they have violated their permits, that means that anything becomes permissible moving forward.”
The South Moody Avenue facility has become a flashpoint for escalating tensions, drawing protests, violent clashes, and extensive media scrutiny. Since June, numerous incidents have unfolded outside the site, including the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs by federal agents responding to anti-ICE demonstrators attempting to block vehicle access. According to the Department of Homeland Security, violent agitators have smashed windows, cut internet lines, damaged infrastructure, and on Independence Day, burned an American flag during a riot.
Despite the violence, most concerns raised by Portland residents and lawmakers during the hearing focused not on protest-related unrest, but rather on ICE’s continued operation in violation of local conditions.
Residents also described ongoing disturbances such as loud explosions, flashbang noise near local schools, and the psychological toll of federal enforcement actions in what is officially a sanctuary city. One resident, Michelle Dar, testified that the facility “undermines our values of sanctuary and humanity,” while others said the presence of federal agents made them feel unsafe.
Council Member Steve Novick took a broader ideological stance, calling ICE’s presence in Portland “an assault on our democracy” and urging the council to consider the moral dimension of federal immigration enforcement.
City Council Member Eric Zimmerman confirmed that the city attorney’s office is currently reviewing legal options for revoking ICE’s permit. A formal legal memo outlining possible avenues is expected in the coming weeks.
In response to the city’s posture, Border Czar Tom Homan vowed on Fox News’ Kudlow to intensify federal operations in sanctuary jurisdictions, naming Portland directly. “We’re going to do the job. We’re going to do it in Portland too,” Homan said. “We will double down and triple down. If we can’t arrest that bad guy in jail, we’ll go to the community or we’ll do more worksite enforcement.”
