Four U.S. Citizens Detained by ICE this week in Oregon

Two Oregonians were held in federal custody for several hours after filming ICE agents in Canby

Two Oregonians from McMinnville were detained, including a high school senior, during ICE sweeps in Yamhill County

By Oregon for All

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Yesterday, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen from McMinnville High School and another U.S. citizen were detained during sweeps in Yamhill County, where at least seven others were arrested.

On Thursday, two United States citizen women were detained and held for several hours by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after they filmed ICE agents in their Canby community.

At around 8 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, the two women, one in her early 60s and the other in her late 30s, were observing and filming ICE agents in a parking lot in Canby and were detained. They were held at the ICE processing facility on Macadam until they were released Thursday evening.

All four individuals are remaining anonymous for now in fear of further retaliation.

“Four U.S. citizens were held for hours without access to an attorney, leaving their family members terrified and desperate to find out what happened to them,” said Jess Montoya, Oregon for All Network Director. “All of us should be concerned about ICE operating outside of the laws of our country, disappearing even U.S. citizens without concern or fear of consequences.”

“Oregon for All continues to receive reports of ICE agents intimidating legal observers and other Oregonians documenting their actions in our local communities,” Montoya added. “The First Amendment protects the right of Oregonians to document ICE in public as long as they don’t interfere with or obstruct law enforcement activities. ICE’s intimidation of Oregonians is unacceptable. It is long past the time for the Trump Administration to follow the law and hold its employees accountable.”

Thousands of concerned Oregonians are documenting interactions between ICE and the public. These are Oregonians who care for their neighbors, families, and friends, and want to protect them from harm and to hold ICE accountable by recording possible human rights violations.