Portland to cite ICE for keeping people detained past 12-hour limit
Monique Merrill
PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) — The city of Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday accused the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of violating land use rules at its Portland facility 25 times in the past 10 months.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made clear detention limitation commitments to our community, and we believe they broke those policies more than two dozen times,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said in a statement.
The land use permit doesn't allow for people to be held over 12 hours or kept overnight. Records show that detainees were held in excess of that limit 25 times between Oct. 1, 2024, and July 27, 2025, the city said in a news release. The most recent violation occurred on May 20, according to city officials.
The facility is not a long-term immigration detention facility. The site houses a processing center where officers hold and question people to determine their U.S. residency status.
In 2011, the building owner for the south waterfront property secured a long-term lease with the General Services Administration for two agencies associated with the immigration enforcement agency. A conditional land use permit has been in place since then.
The facility has been the site of nightly protests, a disruption that caused a local charter school to relocate due to safety concerns.
In July, the city's permitting bureau launched an investigation into the facility after receiving formal complaints. Using data from the Deportation Data Project, the city identified 25 violations.
“I am proud of our team for conducting a thorough, thoughtful investigation and referring the matter to the next steps in the land use violation process," Wilson said.
The city intends to issue a land use violation notice on Thursday. Once a notice is received, ICE has 30 days to correct the issue. The city can also issue a fine or initiate a "reconsideration" of a land use approval by scheduling a hearing 60 days after the notice.
As a sanctuary city, Portland does not enforce federal immigration law. As a sanctuary state, Oregon law enforcement officers are directed to only participate in immigration enforcement if there is a judicial warrant. Under state law, private entities cannot operate immigration detention centers.
Representatives for ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.