The Federal reaction to the protests in Portland escalated over the weekend. Officers used tear gas during a planned daytime demonstration and took several people into the building.
Five protesters were transferred to the Columbia County Jail. Portland local Jairin Anzaldua remains in custody. It was their first protest.
The demonstration was put on by the local group Portland Contra las Deportaciones. The group is demonstrating to pressure the City of Portland to revoke the land use permit for the ICE processing center.
Their current land-use permit bars ICE from detaining any person inside the building for longer than 12 hours. They have violated their permit 25 times since October of last year. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson issued a formal notice to ICE about the violations last month.
The rally began with speeches in Elizabeth Caruthers Park followed by a short march to the ICE building. An estimated 400 people were present, including youth and seniors.
KBOO's Anna Wilcox spoke to protesters at the rally on Saturday.
- KBOO