Portland Issues Violation Notice to ICE Facility for Detainee Overstays

PORTLAND, Ore. — The city of Portland will issue a land use violation notice Thursday to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, accusing it of holding detainees longer than permitted under its 2011 land use permit, which prohibits overnight or extended detentions beyond 12 hours, city officials said.

The notice, targeting the Macadam Avenue facility, initiates a review to determine compliance with the permit’s conditions. A second violation notice addresses boarded-up windows at the site, which officials said violates separate city regulations.

A report by the Deportation Data Project, a local nonprofit, documented 25 instances between Oct. 1, 2024, and July 27, 2025, where the facility allegedly held detainees beyond the permitted 12-hour limit. The findings were based on ICE documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

“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,” said Mayor Keith Wilson, a Democrat. “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.”

Under city rules, the facility’s operator, the General Services Administration, has 30 days to address the violations. Failure to comply could result in fines or a reconsideration hearing for the land use permit, scheduled at least 60 days after the notice.

The ICE facility has been a focal point of protests, some violent, amid tensions over federal immigration policies. Since June, anti-ICE demonstrators have clashed with federal agents, with incidents including attempts to block law enforcement vehicles, prompting the use of rubber bullets, tear gas, and flash bangs. Graffiti has also covered the building’s exterior.

In August, protesters were filmed deploying a guillotine outside the facility before law enforcement dispersed the crowd with munitions. The city’s progressive-leaning council has explored options to remove ICE from the site, aligning with Portland’s sanctuary city policy, which bars city employees, including police, from enforcing federal immigration laws. Oregon’s statewide sanctuary law similarly restricts local law enforcement’s involvement in immigration enforcement without a warrant.

Following violent protests over Labor Day, Wilson reaffirmed the city’s commitment to its sanctuary policies, stating, “You can rest assured we won’t be engaging with or working with ICE in any circumstances.”

The facility, leased and managed by the General Services Administration, serves as a processing center where ICE officers detain and interview individuals to determine their immigration status.