South Waterfront ICE Facility 2026

I wrote in November about the history of the ICE facility in the South Waterfront. 

Fast forward 3 months.

Three days after federal agents deployed tear gas at a protest, a judge restricted federal use of tear gas, munitions at Portland ICE protests. From the OregonLive story:

"The judge’s order encompasses the area at and around the ICE building at South Macadam Avenue and Bancroft Street.

No officer may direct or use chemical or projectile munitions, including pepper-ball or paintball guns, pepper or oleoresin capsicum spray, tear gas, flash-bang grenades or other chemical irritants, rubber bullets or other less-lethal weapons against a person unless that individual poses an “imminent threat of physical harm” to a law enforcement officer or someone else, the judge ordered.

He also barred federal officers from firing any weapon or munition at the head, neck or torso of anyone, unless an officer is legally justified in using deadly force.

And he made it clear that federal officers may not use chemical munitions or other projectiles against those alleged to have trespassed or refused to obey an officer’s dispersal order at the ICE facility."

This week, a federal judge in Oregon ruled that he would "continue to strictly limit federal law enforcement’s use of tear gas and other crowd control weapons on protesters outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland."

Photo from The City of Portland 2026 https://www.portland.gov/federal/about-ice/ice-land-use-violation

The City of Portland issued a land use violation in September 2025, which was since reaffirmed in February 2026. 

As of March 5, 2026, the property owner has appealed the City’s violation finding to the Portland City Code Hearings Office; a hearing date has not yet been scheduled, and enforcement timelines are paused while the appeal is pending. The Hearings Office will hold a formal hearing and issue a decision on the violations, which may then be appealed to Oregon Circuit Court.