A small yet impactful protest took place outside an ICE detention center in Portland’s South Waterfront area on Sunday. As agents hurried out of the facility, demonstrators camped nearby, holding signs with messages such as “Abolish ICE.”
The protest was prompted by reports from attorneys indicating that a second asylum seeker had been detained by federal agents following a court appearance in Portland. According to legal representatives, a 24-year-old man from Sherwood was arrested by plain-clothed ICE agents in the court lobby after attending his asylum hearing. He joins a 24-year-old woman, represented by the same legal team, who was similarly apprehended after her court appearance. Both individuals are currently being held at the ICE facility in Tacoma.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson addressed the community’s concerns, reaffirming the city’s commitment to its sanctuary policies. “Our focus in Portland is on caring for our undocumented community and ensuring everyone is protected. We are hopeful that this situation does not escalate, but we are closely monitoring it,” Wilson stated.
This occurred while the nation observed ICE actions in Los Angeles that local resident Maleena Lawrence, a graduate of Norfolk State University, described as resembling a war zone. In downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, crowds gathered for a third consecutive day to protest recent immigration raids. A march originating in Boyle Heights reached the Metropolitan Detention Center, leading LAPD to declare an unlawful assembly. Protesters also walked onto the 101 Freeway after being redirected away from the federal building.
In response to the protests, approximately 300 National Guard members were deployed to Los Angeles on Sunday morning, following two days of unrest. President Trump has initiated plans to send 2,000 National Guard members to address the situation and safeguard federal properties in the area. Demonstrators in Los Angeles clashed with authorities over the weekend, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to announce plans to sue the Trump administration regarding the deployment of the National Guard.
