Over the past month, ICE agents have escalated a dangerous and unlawful campaign against people seeking safety in Oregon. Masked federal agents in plainclothes have repeatedly ambushed and detained asylum seekers outside the Portland Immigration Court.
Volunteer legal observers immediately mobilized to defend due process in real time. And community members showed up to make it clear that Oregonians will not stay silent while ICE targets our families and neighbors.
Innovation Law Lab rapidly filed five lawsuits on behalf of detained asylum seekers against ICE, the U.S. Attorney General, and the Department of Homeland Security. These lawsuits are about reuniting five people with their families and communities, and defending their right to be treated fairly under the law. Each of the five people detained had followed the rules, appearing for their scheduled court hearings and seeking protection through the asylum system.
What’s at stake is not only the freedom of these five individuals, but also whether or not we are a country that honors the rule of law or one that allows federal agents to act with impunity.
The right to seek asylum was born from the tragedies of World War II, when the United States and other nations promised never again to turn away people fleeing persecution. Now, President Trump is trying to walk back that defining promise, directing ICE agents to ignore constitutional safeguards. We cannot allow our fundamental freedoms to be erased by deception and force.
At Innovation Law Lab, we believe the best way to defend our rights is to use them. That's why we're fighting in court, and why we will continue to stand with immigrant Oregonians whose rights are under attack.
The Legal Challenges
Each of the asylum seekers has a powerful story of resilience. They came to Oregon seeking safety and have contributed to our states’ economy and communities. Their courage is part of what makes Oregon stronger.
We’ve helped secure the release of four of the five detained asylum seekers. O-J-M remains in custody, and we will keep fighting for her until she is released from detention.
June 2
O-J-M- (Still Detained)
O-J-M is a 24-year-old transgender woman who fled cartel violence in Mexico due to her gender identity and sexual orientation. After attending her court hearing, she was arrested by ICE. Due to President Trump's cruel executive order targeting trans people, she was taken to the men’s facility at the Northwest ICE Processing Center. She is being held in solitary confinement at her request for her own safety. We filed a habeas corpus petition and a motion for bail, and expect oral argument this month. Her case remains ongoing.
June 5
Y-Z-L-H- (Released)
Y-Z-L-H- is a 24-year-old man with no criminal history from Newport, Oregon who fled cartel violence in Mexico and has lived in Oregon for two years. He was detained by ICE after his court hearing, despite full compliance with the process. We filed a habeas corpus petition, oral arguments were held last week, and the court ordered his release. He is now back home with his family.
June 10
N-E-M-B- (Released)
N-E-M-B- is a 45-year-old asylum seeker who fled Ecuador after he was kidnapped and threatened with death by a criminal syndicate. He was arrested by ICE after his court hearing. We filed a habeas corpus petition, and a federal judge ordered that he not be removed from Oregon. He was released shortly afterward and is now back home in his community.
J-C-R-M- is a 43-year-old man from Venezuela who fled political persecution under an oppressive regime. He was arrested by ICE after his court hearing. We filed a habeas corpus petition, and a federal judge ordered that he not be removed from Oregon. He was released shortly afterward and is now back home in his community.
June 24
E-M- (Released)
E-M- is a 24-year-old man from Afghanistan who fled the Taliban and made his home in Portland. In a troubling shift of tactics, ICE arrested him on his way home from his court hearing and immediately rushed him out of Oregon in an apparent effort to avoid judicial oversight and interfere with access to legal counsel. We filed a habeas corpus petition and a motion to enforce compliance with the court’s order regarding his transfer out of state. He has since been released and is back home with his family.
Related article:
Immigration Court & ICE Arrests: What Immigrant Oregonians Need to Know
