Portland police clear blockade of ICE office; chief says it was for safety not immigration enforcement

At least six

Portland

police officers

cleared a barricade set by protesters early Sunday at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, raising questions about police cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The police actions come as tensions around immigration enforcement have surged across the country. Large-scale protests

erupted in Los Angeles

on Friday in response to federal immigration raids, prompting President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard to the city.

In Portland in recent days,

smaller protests have flared

outside 4310 S. Macadam Ave., the ICE field office in South Portland where federal authorities temporarily detain people slated for deportation.

On Saturday evening and early Sunday morning, Portland officers were monitoring one such protest for signs of vandalism when a Department of Homeland Security contractor driving what police say was an empty transport van called 911 to say protesters had blocked an ICE driveway with wood, rocks and a traffic barrier.

Body-camera footage

released by police showed the blockage plus the words “PDX (hearts) LA” emblazoned on a sign.

Police command staff then decided to clear the driveway and said they did so to avoid confrontation. The footage shows officers casually tossing the rocks and wood off to the side of the driveway and carrying the barrier away from the driveway. The whole thing took a few minutes, and police made no arrests at that time.

On Sunday evening, City Councilor Sameer Kanal — a frequent critic of the Police Bureau — wrote on social media that he had viewed other footage of the clearing.

“And I’m concerned too,” Kanal posted on Bluesky.

Portland police Chief Bob Day on Monday insisted that officers were addressing criminal behavior — and not assisting with immigration enforcement.

“We recognize the heightened emotions surrounding the immigration issue, especially in light of recent events nationally and the situation unfolding in Los Angeles,” Day said in a statement.

Portland police Chief Bob Day, right, speaks about the actions officers took to clear a blockade at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at a news conference on Monday, June 9, 2025. To his left is Central Precinct Commander Brian Hughes.

Zaeem Shaikh/The Oregonian

At a later press conference, Day further defended the decision to clear the blockade but called it an unusual step officers would not take again.

“Going forward, we will not be clearing stuff from the driveway of the facility,” Day said. “And also we will not be engaging with any kind of perceived or actual support of vans or transports or anything of that nature.”

—

Zaeem Shaikh covers the Portland Police Bureau and criminal justice issues for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-221-4323,


zshaikh@oregonian.com


or on X


@zaeemshake

.

Latest Public Safety News

• ‘He’s a coward’ mom says as Portland drum circle killer sentenced at emotional hearing

• Readers respond: Juvenile justice ‘reform’ erodes public’s right to know

• 3-year-old dies after wandering out of The Dalles hotel

• Suspected fentanyl dealer warned before Oregon man’s fatal OD: ‘It’s strong … take a little bit,’ prosecutor says

About The Author