An internal directive instructs Portland employees to record encounters with federal immigration agents, demand judicial warrants, and notify an activist group to initiate community response and legal review.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Portland city employees have been instructed to document interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, contact an outside activist organization for assistance, and route collected information to city attorneys, according to a November internal memo reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The document, labeled an “Employee Guide,” directs workers to contact the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition through a designated hotline when ICE agents appear and to demand that agents present judicial warrants before entering city buildings, according to the memo. The guidance states that “PIRC will activate MigraWatch volunteers to investigate and confirm reports of ICE.”
Portland Ice Memo by yourNEWS Media
The memo provides explicit instructions on how employees should communicate with ICE agents, emphasizing limited disclosure of information. “Do not say whether an employee or any other individual is working, present or not … Do not lie to an agent, but do not volunteer information if the agent has not asked for it,” the guide states.
Employees are further advised that documentation gathered through MigraWatch may be publicly disseminated. “Information collected by MigraWatch may be posted on social media to inform the community and prompt legal support and mutual aid to be mobilized,” the memo tells city workers.
ICE, Portland’s city press office, and the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. The coalition operates out of a building located across the street from Portland’s ICE facility, Fox 12 reported.
The guidance is rooted in Oregon’s long-standing sanctuary policies, which ban local officials from assisting federal immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. Under those policies, ICE must independently locate individuals it seeks to detain, even when they are released from local custody. Portland and other jurisdictions are currently suing the Trump administration over the denial of federal funds tied to those sanctuary laws.
A Portland police officer told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Portland Police Bureau employees are now required to complete online training tied directly to the November memo.
The document closely mirrors recent actions taken by city leadership. It reflects legislation the Portland City Council passed in October to further resist President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Those measures urged Democratic Mayor Keith Wilson to ensure all city staff receive training on “how to report to” the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, participate in role-playing scenarios involving ICE encounters, and coordinate with immigrant advocacy groups to build rapid response networks.
While encouraging observation and reporting, the memo warns employees against direct interference with federal agents. “Do not hide, shield or assist anyone avoiding ICE, and do not physically interfere with ICE agents,” the document states. “These actions could lead to arrest.” The guide also advises employees to invoke their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent when they are not legally required to answer questions.
For documentation purposes, employees are instructed to record the number of ICE agents and vehicles involved, the location of the encounter, equipment used, the agents’ behavior, and the time of the incident. “If someone is detained, ask them for their name, their date of birth, and ask the agents where they are taking them,” the memo states.
Original article
Comments