Tag: and-use permit

PORTLAND, OR – Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is thanking Portland residents for speaking out against the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the city, as officials move forward with a legal process that could ultimately force ICE operations out of a downtown facility following what official said were repeated violations of a land-use permit, the latest development in an effort by city leaders and activists to shut down the operation.

The city issued a formal notice of land-use violation to the property owner of the ICE facility on South Macadam Avenue after an investigation found detainees were held beyond the permitted 12-hour limit or overnight at least 25 times between October 2024 and July 2025. The notice, issued in September 2025, gives the city grounds to seek reconsideration of the facility’s conditional land-use approval through a hearings officer process that could lead to revocation.

City officials say they cannot unilaterally close the facility, a point Mayor Keith Wilson emphasized as pressure mounts for immediate action.

“Any attempt to unilaterally revoke the conditional land use approval would surely be challenged,” Wilson said in a statement issued Wednesday. “We cannot allow hasty action to prevent us from taking meaningful action.”

The land-use process allows the city’s Permitting and Development department to ask a hearings officer to reconsider the approval, with potential appeals to the City Council. The property owner has challenged the city’s findings, prompting delays as officials extended deadlines to gather additional information.

Wilson framed the permit review as one piece of a broader city response to federal immigration enforcement.

“I agree with those saying loud and clear that our public safety is undermined by the actions taken by federal agents,” Wilson said.

He also called on ICE to suspend all operations in Portland until a full investigation is completed into a January 8 shooting by federal agents in the Hazelwood neighborhood.

City leaders say they are also pushing back through legal action, Portland’s sanctuary city policies that prohibit assistance with federal immigration enforcement, and the Protect Portland Initiative, which was passed unanimously by the City Council. Council members, including Angelita Morillo, have been actively involved in shaping proposals and supporting the land-use process, while noting the council’s limited authority to act on its own.

Activists have long campaigned for revocation of the permit, organizing protests and petitions aimed at closing the facility. As of late 2025, the city continues to navigate the legal and administrative steps required by the violation notice, with further hearings and potential appeals expected before a final decision is made.