PORTLAND, Ore. — Protests continued Saturday outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in South Portland as the Trump administration appeals a temporary restraining order blocking National Guard troops from being deployed in the city.
The group of protesters and counter demonstrators grew significantly in the afternoon, with dozens lining the sidewalks outside the facility off South Macadam Avenue.
Before 7 p.m., DHS officers detained three people during a confrontation with protesters in the facility’s driveway.
Portland Police officers arrested someone in the area around the ICE building at about 9:20 p.m. on charges of 4th-degree assault and harassment.
Someone involved in the incident was taken to the hospital for treatment, police officials said.
The FBI’s Portland field office said federal officers cited one person during protests at the ICE building overnight Friday.
Protestors outside the facility urge people to rally peacefully and respectfully.
“Our job here is to say, ‘we do not respect what the government is doing with immigrants today,’ and that’s what we’re here to do,” Kirk Copeland, a protestor said. “Anything else is superfluous.”
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Karen Immergut sided with the state in approving a temporary restraining order blocking the deployment, saying the facts on the ground didn’t support the action. That order is set to expire October 18.
The federal government appealed and asked the 9th Circuit Court to let it deploy the guardsmen as the lawsuit goes through the legal process.
READ MORE | President Trump says Portland ‘almost an insurrection’
A flyer circulating online called on people to shine lasers at federal helicopters at some point on Saturday, but that protest did not end up happening to our knowledge.
In response, Oregon Health & Science University said several air ambulances will not land at their helicopter landing pad on Saturday night as a precaution. Air ambulances will instead be sent to other airports and the patients will be driven to OHSU, which could take 45 to 60 minutes extra in transport time.
“For most patients that will be an acceptable delay. However, for some sensitive situations such as unstable trauma patients, STEMIs and strokes, the delay could have real impacts. OHSU Mission Control has alerted staff to incorporate additional transit time into their decision-making as OHSU accepts patients through the transfer center,” OHSU said.
Some protestors condoned the protest, saying it defeats the point of peaceful protest.
“I think it’s a step too far actually,” Copeland said. “I think we need to be respectful. We need to protest and have our point of view, but we’re endangering other aircraft, we’re endangering cars potentially, and other humans. I think it’s just a step too far. I think the best way we are going to get through is by truly peacefully protesting.”
Shining a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime, the FBI wrote on its website that:
“When laser beams are aimed at any piloted aircraft, whether military or commercial, what might seem like a tiny beam on the ground can blind aircrew, potentially causing a midair collision or other incident.”
This is a developing story; updates will be posted as information comes in.
