Portland’s city council is stirring the pot, eyeing a move to kick Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) out of its South Waterfront detention facility.
Fox News reported that the progressive-leaning council claims ICE has flouted its 2011 conditional-use permit, sparking a fiery debate over sanctuary city principles. This clash isn’t just about paperwork—it’s a showdown over values and power.
City officials are scrutinizing ICE’s operation at the South Moody Avenue facility, alleging violations of its permit. The council held a packed hearing last week to weigh revoking ICE’s permission to operate, citing over two dozen instances of detainees held beyond the allowed 12-hour limit.
Local residents and lawmakers argue the facility spits in the face of Portland’s sanctuary city status. “Our values of sanctuary and humanity are under siege,” said Michelle Dar, a local resident, painting a dramatic picture of moral decay. Her words ring hollow when you consider that sanctuary policies often shield lawbreakers, undermining the rule of law.
Trouble brewed outside the facility starting in June 2025, with protests turning violent. On June 14, anti-ICE demonstrators tried to block law enforcement vehicles, prompting federal agents to respond with rubber bullets, tear gas, and flashbangs. The chaos left nearby subsidized housing and a school rattled by loud bangs—hardly the “sanctuary” locals claim to champion.
Some residents pointed fingers at Antifa for fueling the violence, a convenient scapegoat for a city reluctant to admit its policies invite unrest.
The protests escalated on July 4, when rioters cut internet cables, damaged sprinklers, and hurled rocks and fireworks at agents. Burning an American flag for good measure, they ensured their message was less about reform and more about rebellion.
Federal agents weren’t playing games, arresting suspected attackers for assaulting officers. The Department of Homeland Security even raised a new American flag after protesters torched others, a symbolic jab at the rioters’ antics. It’s a stark reminder that law enforcement won’t back down, even in Portland’s progressive playground.
The city council’s case hinges on ICE’s alleged permit violations, specifically holding detainees too long. City Council Member Eric Zimmerman revealed the city attorney’s office is drafting a memo to explore legal options for revoking the permit. It’s a calculated move to flex local muscle against federal authority, but it risks alienating those who value border security.
“If we allow ICE to continue to operate when they have violated their permits, that means that anything becomes permissible moving forward,” said City Council Member Angelita Morillo.
Her logic assumes permits are sacred, yet Portland’s selective enforcement of laws—like ignoring federal immigration statutes—undercuts her high ground. It’s a classic case of picking and choosing which rules matter.
The facility’s permit, issued in 2011, allows detention and administrative use with strict limits, which ICE reportedly breached over two dozen times. These violations are the council’s ammunition, but they sidestep the bigger question: does Portland’s sanctuary stance embolden lawlessness? The answer lies in the streets, where rocks and tear gas tell the real story.
Portland’s sanctuary city policy, meant to protect unauthorized migrants, is at the heart of this dispute. Residents argue the ICE facility contradicts this ethos, but their complaints gloss over the facility’s role in upholding federal law. Sanctuary policies often create safe havens for criminals, not just families, a nuance lost in the council’s rhetoric.
“This is an assault on our democracy as a whole… The assault on immigrants is the tip of the spear,” said City Council Member Steve Novick, framing ICE’s presence as a national threat.
His hyperbole ignores the reality: ICE targets those who break immigration laws, not democracy itself. Such grandstanding fuels division rather than solutions.
The unrest has drawn national attention, with Border Czar Tom Homan weighing in on Fox News’ “Kudlow” last week. “We’re going to do the job,” Homan declared, signaling no retreat from enforcement. His resolve highlights the disconnect between Portland’s ideals and the federal government’s mandate.
Homan doubled down, stating, “We’re going to do it in Portland too.” He referenced President Donald Trump’s late June remarks about ramping up enforcement in sanctuary cities, a clear shot across Portland’s bow. If the city won’t cooperate, Homan warned, agents will hit the streets and worksites to apprehend violators.
Trump’s directive to “double down and triple down” on sanctuary cities underscores a no-nonsense approach to immigration enforcement. Portland’s council may see this as a threat, but for many Americans, it’s a welcome return to law and order. The city’s resistance only deepens the divide between local and federal priorities.
