Oregon ICE Activity—Weekly Update (2/5/26)
Multiple Legal Victories Over DHS and Monthly Detentions Under 100 for First Time Since September
Do you wanna hear some good news about the fight against DHS in Oregon? Despite DHS tear gassing children last weekend, the people have achieved some major victories recently.
Legal Wins
First, a temporary restraining order (TRO) was granted by a federal judge, restricting ICE’s use of force at the Portland facility. Federal officers are prohibited from using crowd control munitions on people unless they pose a direct threat to officers or another person. This order should be extended through a hearing in early March—for more info, go watch this video.
A less-reported legal win has come from the Innovation Law Lab. A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to halt DHS’s practice of warrantless arrests in Oregon. Basically, if ICE agents make a warrantless arrest, they are legally required to prove that the individual is a flight risk. They weren’t following that, as exhibited in multiple cases, including instances of them signing post-hoc warrants. So, this injunction is now in place while the overarching class action lawsuit is litigated. Will DHS follow this order? That remains to be seen. If you’re interested in learning about the consequences of DHS agents disobeying the order, let me know and I’ll look into it.
Detentions Stay Low
As for detentions, the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC) reported fewer than 100 in January—by far the lowest number since September. Between January 26 and February 1, nine detentions were reported to the PIRC hotline, but there were other incidents. For example, an US citizen and SEIU member was assaulted by federal agents in Salem on January 29. According to a report from the SEIU, agents smashed her window, threw her to the ground, and emptied her purse. They checked her passport and then left without administering medical attention. She was later treated for a torn rotator cuff, bruised ribs, and a concussion.
More Updates
We also have an update on the Border Patrol shooting of two Venezuelan Oregonians in Portland in January. The Guardian revealed what immigration and criminal justice experts have called a “smear campaign” by DHS. US prosecutors directly contradicted claims that the individuals were members of the Tren de Aragua gang—remember when I said to be extremely skeptical?
Finally, on January 28, NBC reported that a White House official said “Oregon was next” following the killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota. It’s neither unexpected nor reassuring, but you can bet I will be out there every day when the storm hits.