U.S. Attorney Statement on Demonstration at Federal Facility in Southwest Portland

PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, provided the following statement on the demonstration taking place at the federal building located at 4310 SW Macadam Avenue in Portland on August 30, 2018.

“Last week I met with members of the Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ), an organization that advocates on behalf of immigrant communities. We discussed their concerns on a number of important topics including asylum seekers being held at FCI Sheridan. Today, individuals affiliated with IMIrJ and others have gathered to protest at a federal building in Southwest Portland that houses employees and serves visitors of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Army Corps of Engineers. They have blocked the building’s driveway and main entrance and refused to move when instructed to by federal authorities.”

“As I’ve said before, freedom of speech and peaceful assembly are sacred rights, but we do not support actions that impede the work of federal employees. We acknowledge demonstrators’ concerns and value the conversations we’ve had with IMIrJ and others, but urge them to refrain from blocking access to this building. Failure to abide by federal law will result in arrest.”