Portland moves to enforce land-use rules on ICE facility, citing repeated detention violations
City launches a land-use review of the Macadam Avenue ICE facility, citing a nonprofit report of detainees held longer than permitted and a separate boarded-window violation amid ongoing protests
Portland on Thursday issued a land-use violation notice to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Macadam Avenue, launching a formal review to determine whether the site complies with its 2011 land-use permit, which bars keeping detainees overnight or for more than 12 hours.
The notice marks the city’s latest step in a months-long dispute over the facility, which has become a focal point for protests over immigration enforcement. A local nonprofit group, the Deportation Data Project, reported to city officials that detainees were held longer than permitted at least 25 times between Oct. 1 and July 27, using ICE documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. A separate violation concerns boarded-up windows at the facility, a condition not tied to the land-use permit. ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Under the notice, the city will initiate a review to determine whether the facility is following the rules of its permit. If substantial evidence of a violation exists, a fine can be issued. The land-use process also allows for a reconsideration of the permit by scheduling a hearing at least 60 days after the notice. The facility is leased and managed by the General Services Administration for federal agencies tied to ICE, and it includes a processing center where officers detain and interview people to determine their immigration status.
"U.S. Immigrations 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, a Democrat, said in a statement. "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."
The case comes as the building has become a major flashpoint for President Donald Trump’s immigration clampdown, with left-leaning protesters and agitators descending on the facility and clashing with federal officers. The exterior has been covered with anti-ICE graffiti, and clashes have escalated into nighttime confrontations in which federal agents have used munitions to disperse crowds. In one incident, a large group of protesters attempted to block entry and exit for law enforcement vehicles, prompting a response that included rubber bullets, tear gas and flash bangs. In another scene, video surfaced of protesters rolling out a guillotine before authorities dispersed the crowd.
In July, Portland’s progressive-leaning city council said it was exploring ways to expel ICE from the detention facility. Portland’s sanctuary policy restricts city employees, including police, from enforcing federal immigration laws, and Oregon law similarly limits state and local participation in immigration enforcement without a warrant.
In the wake of Labor Day protests, Mayor Wilson reaffirmed the city’s sanctuary stance. "You can rest assured we won’t be engaging with or working with ICE in any circumstances," he said.
The building is a lease facility, and the notice signals the city’s intent to use its land-use authority to press ICE to resolve questions about how the site is used and stewarded under the 2011 permit. If the city finds violations, it can impose fines or require corrections within a defined period, and it can move toward reconsideration of the permit if conditions are not met.
The case illustrates Portland’s ongoing tension between local sanctuary policies and federal immigration enforcement, a tension that has persisted as city officials seek new ways to address facilities used to hold and process detainees. The city said the review will focus on whether the Macadam Avenue site adheres to the terms of its land-use permit and whether the reported detention periods exceeded those limits. The GSA, which manages the facility on behalf of ICE, has not publicly commented on the notice.
This report draws on city statements and the Deportation Data Project’s analysis of ICE documents obtained through FOIA. The Associated Press contributed to this report.