Federal police in riot gear arrested at least eight demonstrators Thursday and dismantled a makeshift camp on the grounds of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland.

Demonstrators from Occupy ICE PDX took over part of the grounds eight days ago to protest the separation of families on the U.S.-Mexican border under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy.

On Thursday, Department of Homeland Security police stood shoulder-to-shoulder across the entryway to the grounds while other officers dismantled and removed the makeshift camp, protest signs and barriers of wooden crates.

A few dozen protesters walked along in front of the line of police shouting slogans at the officers. "No justice, no peace, no racist police," one group chanted. Others screamed profanities at the officers.

At least eight people were arrested, according to KOIN-TV.

Police began putting pressure on the protesters Monday by distributing fliers warning the occupation of the ICE property was illegal and violators could be arrested. The takeover forced ICE to shut down operations at the building.

Although the office was closed, people still showed up for their scheduled appointments, KOIN-TV reports. Some of them told KOIN reporters they were never notified the facility temporarily shut down.

A spokesman for Federal Protective Services said the goal of Thursday's action was to provide access to the ICE building, according to OregonLive. Once that was finished, he said, there were no plans to completely clear the encampment from the surrounding area.

Meanwhile, a group of activists gathered at City Hall to demand that city council not cooperate with ICE and not use police against the protesters.

At an informal council session Wednesday morning, Portland city commissioner Amanda Fritz sided with protesters, saying, "ICE is stupid."

"It's not reasonable, compassionate or enforceable," she said, according to KGW. "So, that's the underlying problem. And Congress needs to change the immigration laws, so that people can be with their families."

A second commissioner, Chloe Eudaly, has called for the abolition of ICE or at least revoking its use of a building in Portland. </s> PORTLAND, Ore. — Nine people were arrested Thursday morning after federal officers in riot gear moved in to clear the entrance to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Southwest Portland.

The ICE facility has been closed since Wednesday, June 20 after the protest group, calling themselves Occupy ICE PDX, set up camp with the goal of shutting down the immigration enforcement agency.

Seven protesters were charged with failing to comply with directions given by law enforcement officers, and blocking the building's entrances. The charges are Class C misdemeanors and the protesters were released, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon.

An eighth protester was detained on a state charge of interfering with a peace officer and remains at the Multnomah County Detention Center.

A ninth person was detained after he drove his black SUV near a police line and federal agents saw what appeared to be two rifles in the backseat.

"Three airsoft guns were found in the vehicle. The individual was later released without being charged," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

"At approximately 5:30 a.m. today, federal law enforcement officers initiated a law enforcement action to reopen the federal facility at 4310 SW Macadam Avenue in Portland," Federal Protective Service spokesman Robert Sperling said in a prepared statement.

Officers cleared the entrance to the building and arrested eight people who were taken to the federal courthouse in downtown Portland. A ninth was taken into custody later in the morning.

Activists said they are represented by the National Lawyers Guild.

Sperling described the sweep of the entrance as peaceful.

Police took no action against those who set up a camp alongside the building. Sperling said those outside ICE property would not be removed, and police would not interact with them.

"We don't want to impede their freedom of speech," he said.

He said to expect a federal police presence around the ICE building "for the foreseeable future," and that the next step was for the facility to reopen for "business as usual" sometime next week.

As officers cleared the entrance Thursday morning, truckloads of tents, boards, even a couch, were hauled away from the entrance.

TriMet announced that there would be no service at stops on Southwest Moody, River Parkway, Macadam and Boundary during this incident.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, who also serves as police commissioner, has declined to provide assistance from the Portland Police Bureau to Department of Homeland Security during the siege.

Social media posts on Thursday morning showed Portland police vehicles blocking traffic near the protest. The Portland Police Bureau said that action was in order to identify alternative routes for drivers.

"In line with the Mayor and Police Commissioner’s directions, the Police Bureau was not involved in the Federal Protective Services (FPS) actions as it related to Occupy ICE PDX," said PPB Sgt. Chris Burley. "Portland Police Bureau officers recognized the need to assist motorists in identifying alternative routes around road closures due to actions related to Occupy ICE PDX."

"As of approximately 8:10 a.m., the Portland Police Bureau is no longer providing traffic control and other agencies have taken over diverting traffic," Burley said.

Sperling said the two police agencies continue a cooperative relationship and that Portland police were made aware of the action Thursday morning.

Activist Jacob Bureros was at the camp when police arrived. He said Portland police officers were there assisting federal police.

A protest camp coordinator, Lillith Sinclair, told KGW that Homeland Security officers "have been playing mind games" for several days. Bureros described it as "frat boys" behavior.

Sinclair and Bureros both said cardboard cutouts of officers were placed in the ICE building windows to make it appear their presence was larger. Homeland Security played officers played loud music at night to keep protesters awake. One officer walked around with an eagle mask on his head.

They specifically blared Metallica's "Enter Sandman," a song about nightmares and lack of sleep.

Bureros and activist Danialle James said two plain-clothes DHS officers came into the camp early Thursday morning as federal police began to clear the front entrance of the ICE building. The activists allege that DHS officers stole cellphones from a charging station, including one owned by James.

Before the Thursday morning sweep, notices that outlined which trespassing laws protesters were violating were handed out and posted for three consecutive days. The flyers did not give notice of Thursday's evacuation.

Sinclair said that since Portland is a sanctuary city, ICE is the agency who is violating the law. Her group, Occupy ICE PDX, wants ICE removed from Oregon and abolished in its entirety as a federal agency.

"It's become a crime to help a human being," James told KGW.

Bureros said ICE has "created a false narrative" about the encampment keeping them from performing their duties. Much of the administrative work is done in a separate building.

"They just want their jail back," he said.

Spokesman Sperling of the Federal Protective Service declined to comment on the overall message of the protesters.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion," he said.

The Occupy ICE PDX protest is in its second week. Thursday marked the ninth day the Portland ICE holding facility has been closed because of the protests.

NORCOR jail in the Dalles still housing detainees as 2 other jails end ICE contracts </s> PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal officials Monday ordered protesters to end their round-the-clock occupation of property outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland, Oregon.

Law enforcement officers began distributing notices to vacate late Monday morning. The several hundred protesters have so far ignored the demand.

"We acknowledge the community's concerns driving these demonstrations. While demonstrators have a lawful right to assemble and voice their concerns, blocking the building's driveways or entrances is not permitted under federal law," U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams said in a statement.

The group rallying under the moniker Occupy ICE PDX wants to abolish ICE and end the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy in which all unlawful border crossings are referred for prosecution.

Occupy ICE PDX last week called for similar occupations throughout the country, and demonstrators have responded in places such as New York, Los Angeles and Detroit.

Earlier Monday, federal law enforcement officers entered the Portland's ICE headquarters to secure government property ahead of the vacate notice.

The action taken at 3:30 a.m., when many protesters were in their tents, was a precautionary move to protect information and equipment, said Rob Sperling, spokesman for Federal Protective Service, which is responsible for protecting federal buildings.

The protesters did not try to thwart officers. "This morning's entry was peaceful and smooth," Sperling said.

Portland's ICE headquarters has been the site of an occupation since June 17. The occupation grew in size early last week, and the building has been closed since Wednesday. There's no indication that protesters have gone inside the facility, Sperling said.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has said police in this sanctuary city won't help federal officers evict any protesters.

Carissa Cutrell, an ICE spokeswoman, said last week that people who had appointments scheduled at the office will be contacted by deportation officers to have their meetings rescheduled. The appointments will not be reported as missed check-ins.

Cutrell declined to say how many people work at the Portland office, or if they have been working from home since it was closed because of security concerns. </s> On the KGW app? Tap to view photos, video

PORTLAND, Ore. – As federal police crack down on a protest at an unassuming immigration office in Southwest Portland grows, the encampment is gaining national attention as a fevered example of the clash between the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and critics who say the president’s policies are inhumane.

This is what we know about the protest, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, and the sweep of arrests that took place a week after protesters shut down the ICE facility.

The Occupy ICE PDX protest at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding facility began on Tuesday, June 19. On Wednesday, ICE closed the office on Southwest Macadam Avenue amid security concerns, as protesters blocked employees from leaving the parking lots. The office remains closed as of Thursday, June 28.

What began as a small protest last week has grown to include tent camps, makeshift gathering spaces, and signs pasted on metal fencing and windows at the federal building.

On Monday, the U.S. Attorney for Oregon gave individual protesters notices to vacate the property, and threatened to arrest anyone who continued to block entrances and driveways.

In turn, protesters called for more people to join them.

Early Thursday morning, federal police cleared entrances to the ICE building and arrested nine protesters. ICE officers remained at the scene, dressed in riot gear.

Dozens of activists remained at the protest, and police and protesters faced off, separated by a yellow line of police tape.

Occupy ICE PDX is primarily made up of Portland-area activists. The group is demonstrating against Trump’s immigration policies and ICE, the federal immigration enforcement agency that carries out the policies.

The Occupy ICE movement takes its name from the Occupy Wall Street protests that erupted in New York during the financial recession in 2011. The Occupy Wall Street movement quickly spread to cities nationwide, with protesters shortening their monikers to just "Occupy," followed by the city name.

Now, Occupy ICE PDX members hope their efforts will also inspire others around the country. Occupy ICE PDX was the first protest group to effectively shutter an ICE office last week. Organizers are calling for protesters elsewhere to follow their lead. The goal, they say, is to shut down ICE permanently.

“We are organized, we are ready, we are here to stay until ICE is abolished,” Occupy ICE PDX said on its Facebook page.

The movement has spread. Protesters in Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago and New York have started Occupy ICE protests.

In April, the Trump administration began separating many families of undocumented immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as part of its “zero-tolerance” policy, delivering on Trump’s promise to ramp up efforts to stop illegal immigration.

The administration started criminally prosecuting every undocumented immigrant who crossed the border illegally, and detaining some asylum seekers even though seeking asylum at the border is not a crime.

Federal law does not allow children to be detained in restrictive detention facilities for long periods of time, so the children were taken from their families and sent to separate facilities.

More than 2,300 children were separated from their families during a two-month period, according to federal reports, before Trump signed an executive order halting his administration’s policy of family separation. The president remains committed to the immigration crackdown, however, and many of the children who were taken from their families remain separated and in federal custody.

The immigration policies are enforced by ICE, a federal agency that was created in 2002 with the intent of protecting national security and public safety following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

The president said cracking down on immigration at the border keeps Americans safe. The policies are popular among many of the president’s supporters.

“We cannot allow all of these people to invade our country,” he tweeted. “When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no judges or court cases, bring them back from where they came.”

Occupy ICE PDX is calling for reunification for all families who were separated under the zero-tolerance policy, and the dissolution of ICE as a federal agency.

What happens at the ICE facility in Portland?

The ICE facility on Southwest Macadam Avenue is a holding facility. Immigrants who are detained in the Portland area are held at the facility before being transported to other longer-term facilities, such as ICE’s Tacoma Northwest Detention Center, which has capacity for 1,575 detainees.

Detainees are usually held at the Portland facility for less than a day, according to TRAC Immigration.

Are there immigration detainees in Oregon?

Yes. The NORCOR county jail in The Dalles and the Josephine County Jail in southern Oregon have contracted with ICE to hold immigration detainees for federal agents. ICE has a federal facility in Tacoma, Wash. The agency said it utilizes the Oregon jails to help with overflow.

Springfield also had a contract with ICE to hold a handful of detainees. Springfield ended that contract on Monday, June 25.

What we know about the Oregon jail that holds ICE detainees

A federal prison in Sheridan, Ore. is also currently holding immigration detainees, including 123 men who were detained after seeking asylum. The detainees said they had been denied access to lawyers and clergy. On Monday, a judge ordered the prison to provide access to attorneys.

Undocumented children, including at least four kids who were separated from their parents, are also in the Portland area. Three shelter facilities, all run by the nonprofit Morrison Child and Family Services, are holding undocumented kids. </s> Federal law enforcement officers on Thursday morning began removing some protesters encamped outside a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Oregon’s largest city, officials said, more than a week after the demonstrations forced the Portland facility to close temporarily.

Officers moved in on the encampment of Occupy ICE PDX demonstrators at about 5:30 a.m. PT, the US attorney’s office in Oregon said. Officials hope to reopen the facility early next week for the first time since June 20, Federal Protective Service spokesman Robert Sperling said.

An unspecified number of protesters were taken into custody as federal law enforcement personnel cleared a path that includes the facility’s driveway and front door, Sperling said.

Officers in riot gear stood shoulder-to-shoulder, protecting the path to the entrance, video from CNN affiliate KPTV shows. Protesters remained in the area, with some approaching the officers intermittently, talking with them or appearing to record them with cell phone cameras.

In a tweet Thursday, Occupy ICE PDX — PDX is the code for Portland’s main airport — acknowledged officers were clearing people from in front of the building but said protesters “aren’t going anywhere.”

Last week, ICE temporarily closed its Portland field offices after demonstrators had pitched tents in front of the facility to protest the Trump administration’s policy to criminally prosecute anyone who crosses the border illegally. The policy led to hundreds of children being separated from their parents.

Amid criticism, President Donald Trump on June 20 signed an executive order to stop the practice of separating families. Hundreds of families still have not been reunited.

On Monday, officers with the Federal Protective Service distributed notices to the Portland demonstrators, ordering them to vacate the property. The US attorney for Oregon said it’s illegal to obstruct entrances, lobbies, offices and parking lots of federal buildings, like the one in southwest Portland.

Occupy ICE movements have popped up in various cities, including New York City, Los Angeles and Detroit, in opposition to the immigration policies. </s> Federal law enforcement officers have begun removing protesters encamped outside a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Oregon's largest city, officials said Thursday morning, more than a week after the demonstrations forced the Portland facility to close temporarily.

Officers moved in on the encampment of Occupy ICE PDX demonstrators at about 5:30 a.m. PT, the US attorney's office in Oregon said. Officials hope to reopen the facility early next week for the first time since June 20, Federal Protective Service spokesman Robert Sperling said.

An unspecified number of protesters were taken into custody as federal law enforcement personnel cleared a path that includes the facility's driveway and front door, Sperling said.

Officers in riot gear stood shoulder-to-shoulder near the facility, video from CNN affiliate KPTV shows . People who appeared to be demonstrators approached the officers intermittently, talking with them or appearing to record them with cell phone cameras.

Last week, ICE temporarily closed its Portland field offices after demonstrators had pitched tents in front of the facility to protest the Trump administration's policy to criminally prosecute anyone who crosses the border illegally. The policy led to hundreds of children being separated from their parents.

President Donald Trump on June 20 signed an executive order to stop the practice of separating families. Hundreds of families still have not been reunited. On Monday, officers with the Federal Protective Service distributed notices to the Portland demonstrators, ordering them to vacate the property. The US attorney for Oregon said it's illegal to obstruct entrances, lobbies, offices and parking lots of federal buildings, like the one in southwest Portland. </s> PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Latest on the occupation outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland (all times local):

Demonstrators occupying federal property outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland have been told to leave.

U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams says protesters have a lawful right to assemble, but are not allowed to block driveways or entrances.

The Occupy ICE PDX protest seeks to abolish ICE and end the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on immigration.

The round-the-clock demonstration outside Portland headquarters began June 17. It increased in size early last week, prompting officials to close the facility.

A team of federal law enforcement officers entered the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland to secure government property as protesters continued a demonstration against Trump administration immigration policies.

Federal Protective Service spokesman Rob Sperling says officers entered the building at 3:30 a.m. Monday. Protesters did not try to stop them.

Sperling says it's a precautionary move, and there's no indication that activists camped outside the facility have entered it.

Portland's ICE headquarters has been the site of a round-the-clock protest since June 17. The occupation grew in size early last week and the building has been closed since Wednesday.

Sperling says there's no timeframe for when employees will return. </s> PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland is closed as protests over President Trump’s immigration policies continued.

Protesters told KATU-TV that shutting down ICE is one of their goals, so they considered Wednesday’s closure a win.

The protest began Sunday, with demonstrators calling for an end to the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy in which all unlawful border crossings are referred for prosecution. The protesters also sought an immediate end to the practice of separating children from their families.

Though the facility was open Tuesday, police were called in to make sure employees could leave safely. </s> PORTLAND, Ore. -- The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Southwest Portland is closed again on Thursday as a protest outside the building continues.

The office on Southwest Macadam Avenue first closed on Wednesday, citing security concerns. ICE spokeswoman Carissa Cutrell said appointments scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday have been canceled. Deportation officers will contact individuals to reschedule appointments.

"Normal operations will resume once security concerns have been addressed," she said.

A group of protesters, calling themselves 'Occupy ICE PDX,' set up camp outside ICE's Portland headquarters starting on Tuesday to protest the Trump administration's recent policy of separating families after illegal border crossings.

More than 2,300 immigrant children have reportedly been separated from their parents since April. On Wednesday, Trump reversed his own policy and signed an executive order to halt family separations at the U.S./Mexico border. It's unclear when the children who have already been separated from their families will be reunited, if at all.

Occupy ICE PDX is now calling for a national occupation of ICE facilities. Protesters said their end goal is to abolish the federal agency.

"It shouldn't be happening, it's unacceptable," protester Dan McLean told KGW.

The protesters have been preventing ICE vehicles from entering or leaving the facility.

On Tuesday, ICE said the Federal Protective Service was called for security reasons. One person blocking a car was taken into custody.

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fully respects the rights of all people to voice their opinion without interference. ICE remains committed to immigration enforcement consistent with federal law and agency policy. The Federal Protective Service was called to the ICE office on Macadam Avenue this afternoon due to security concerns resulting from the ongoing protests at this location. Questions regarding arrests that took place should be directed to the Federal Protective Service," ICE said in a statement.

The wife of a private contractor who works at the ICE facility in Portland told KGW that protesters were not allowing employees to drive off the facility's parking lots. Federal police had to escort about 20 employees off the property. Portland police told employees the agency would not respond to help due ot the nature of the protest, she said. The woman asked to remain anonymous.

The owner of Fifty Licks Ice Cream parked a truck outside the facility and treated demonstrators to free ice cream.

On Wednesday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he drove by the protests and commended participants on what he said was a peaceful demonstration against an agency "that has not fully lived American values of inclusion."

"I want to be very clear that I do not want the Portland Police to be engaged or sucked into a conflict, particularly from a federal agency that I believe is on the wrong track," he said. "If they are looking for a bailout from this mayor, they are looking in the wrong place."

Elsewhere in Oregon, demonstrators gathered at the Federal Correction Institute in Sheridan, where 123 adult asylum seekers are being held. Lawyers say they were denied access to the asylum seekers.

Sheridan is about 60 miles southwest of Portland.
Police arrest at least nine protesters at an Occupy ICE demonstration in Portland, Oregon.